Seasons of Change
by Lady-of-Laughter
Summary: Sasuke, his team &1 arrive. Coming home shows nothing's as it seems. The 4 girls share their secret, but give no specifics. A dark part of the secret is hidden, from all. And for the 9 involved: feelings are the only things that never change like seasons
1. The Season

So it's been forever since I've managed to write, let alone get a new story up. I'm terribly sorry. But to those of you who will find this story, after reading another one of my stories. Thanks for staying with me and waiting such a ridiculously long time for something I promised you long ago.

To new arrivals, welcome!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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"Can you _believe _that we got sent on this mission? To get some random scroll that no one will ever be able to read? What's the point? If no one can read it, _why _does some unknown person want it? _Why _do we even need to secure an unreadable scroll from an unknown person? It's not like it can help or hurt anyone if no one can read it! And _why _can't people read it? It's written in some kind of lost language isn't it? If no one can read or translate it, and no one has touched it let alone been able read it for a thousand years, how do we know what's in it? How do we know that what's inside is so very important?" The woman with ice blue eyes ranted as they traveled, obviously upset with their latest mission.

"Nobody knows any of those answers, you know that! All we know is what you know! Someone wants this scroll and we have to make sure the scroll is safe. We don't even know who is after it, but that's not part of our need-to-know information. Let's just get this scroll and head home; we don't like this mission anymore than you do." A woman with green eyes retorted, rolling her eyes at the blue eyed woman; they had all been over this everyday for the last week of travel.

"Yeah, none of us really want to be on this dull mission. I mean come on, retrieve a scroll and keep it from falling into hands that shouldn't have it, ignoring the fact that they can't even read it? I'm tired of these missions; we all know that we're not going to run into anyone out here. This is ridiculous, I need some action—I didn't sharpen my weapons so they could look pretty in their scrolls! My last six missions have been escorts and retrievals, and all of them have been uneventful!" The speaker snorted before going on.

"I mean really, that last Lord expected me to save him from all and everything, which was a chipmunk by the way. I need _more_, I need a good fight and as much as you girls know I love working with you, I want my partner back. How is it taking so long to escort someone to Wave Country anyway?" The woman with chocolate eyes was agitated, her hands twitching next to the weapon pouch at her hip.

"I prefer the escort and retrieval missions. Blood stains are hard to get out of clothes and if we don't see anyone on this mission, I'm fine with that. Now let's get in and get out, I'm ready to go home." The woman speaking looked up in awe at the cliff side mountain rising before them, registering only the happiness at the lack of insecurity in the back of her mind.

With only a glance at each other the four stopped momentarily to look at their destination with quiet wariness they started forward. A section of the cliff face had fallen away as if time had taken a toll on it, leaving a large gaping slit in the crumbling mountain face just large enough for each girl to squeeze through. As each girl moved through the hole they stood in a line with wide eyes staring at a tunnel that led into a mammoth cavern inside the mountain.

Once at the end of tunnel and looking into the cavern, each girl surveyed the area. What appeared to have once been homes, outdoor tables and cooking areas were now abandoned, crumbling, sagging and falling apart in every imaginable state of disrepair. Very little sunlight seeped into the cavern, a large river flowed over half of the surface and down into the ground.

Clay bowls and shards of pottery sat scattered on a rotting table very near the water's edge, only a few feet from a dilapidated house and the former fire pit two yards in front of the home's door. The remains of decomposed vegetables and herbs were on the table and in the bowls, as if the occupants had either left in a hurry or suddenly died off. None of it made sense; what was this place that people would allow themselves to be shut in without a means of escape?

Sunlight shone in over a small portion of the water, making it shine and sparkle. Growing over more fallen houses and broken tables were vines and plants with a few younger trees growing along the water side. A gentle breeze from the tunnel brought the sound of a bird's call, bringing the girls back from their moment of stunned awe. Their gazes moved to the center of the cavern, the only place that was not decayed, flooded or covered in plants.

A white pedestal of marble stood tall and proud with a scroll about a foot in length rolled up and tied with a purple ribbon. Standing in front of it the four saw white marble stones laid into the ground, like headstones, each a foot from the base of the pedestal. On the smooth stones were names, attesting to the fact that there were four graves circling the solitary column. Each grave was pristine, untouched by decay, water or vines. Each had a variety of animals etched into the perimeter of the stones, with one specific flower at the beginning and end of each name.

"Here, it must be here! There's a hole, bring the rest! We'll go in and see if this is where the scroll is! Head back and tell everyone we are scouting it out, you have one hour! Voices outside the cavern spoke in agreement as the sound of footsteps in the tunnel met the listening ears.

In a tense move the brown eyed woman swiped the scroll from the pedestal and tucked it into her pack. In swift and silent movements the group moved, two on each side of the tunnel entrance and waited as four men entered slowly. Without much preamble the team sprang, quickly capturing the men like sheep in a thicket. Eyes narrowed as scowls raised their lips in recognition; these men were in their bingo books.

Hatred lingered in their eyes the Kunoichi killed the despicable monsters before them. They felt no remorse for the creatures they killed; those four men had done things that made them want to retch, because of the atrocious acts they had committed to innocent villagers.

Running out of the tunnel and into the light of day the four fled, heading home as quickly as they could. It was not long though that they stopped to see a caravan below headed towards the mountain they had come from. Looking at each other in recognition, the women nodded to one another and continued on.

The sound of people following them was soon heard as the women jumped from tree to tree. With their pursuer's shouts approaching the four had nothing to do but fight. Finding a place where they could rest and hide for a short while, the women tried to scout out a familiar place to fight amongst the alien terrain. Carefully the scroll was pulled out, and the four looked at each other in uncertainty.

"If they defeat us, they will have the scroll. They can't get this, we have to burn it! We will all memorize it and burn it!" The one with the eyes of a deer held out the scroll, ready to release the seal.

To the Kunoichi this was nothing new. Each one was trained to memorize things quickly, because it would ensure vital information was not taken by enemies. And even if the four couldn't read whatever was written, they could most certainly memorize the symbols so that they could later write them and have it translated. At the nods of the other three women, a collective breath was taken and let out.

Carefully, knowing that their pursuers would soon be passing their hidden caver, the scroll was opened. A flash of white shone off the page and unusual swirls in silver and gold flowed over the pristine paper. With wide eyes the four touched the paper, each brushing her fingertips over a picture in each corner closest to them.

Eight different shining colors of light sprang up from the page, four into the air and four up the limbs of the girls touching the paper. The blinding glow instantly covered the eyes of the four and invaded their minds, leaving each woman on her back. Collectively each woman saw the past, and in the process gained a small inkling of what they had become. They lay in their spots, bodies limp, breathing shallow, eyes white and their forms shrouded from view by a dark haze in the shadowed cave.

_Four women ran full speed through the trees, fleeing those that wanted them dead and determined to protect their power for the survival of the world. The sound of leaves swishing and the rhythmic gasping of air was the only sound surrounding their retreating form. Behind them crashes were heard as testimony of the people after them. Jumping to the ground floor the four women kept up a steady pace as their muscles and lungs screamed their anger at the abuse. _

_A group of six men landed around them, running steadily next to them. These men had gotten ahead of the larger group which had perhaps sixty people still farther back. Most people had no idea what these women were; what__they possessed was an utter mystery, but specific descendants would one day understand. Those that knew what they were capable of became one thing, harbingers of death. People who knew what these women were only desired two things: their powers or their corpses._

_It would have been understandable that their fear drove them to such actions against the four, but the women knew their true motives. These people had been after them for years, and the women knew very well that their only desire was to kill the four females and control the world. With their demise, the world would be in chaos. It would take someone who knew what would happen to control the populace and make the world flourish and the likelihood of that was very grim._

_Weapons flew at them, causing the women to stop their flight and face the six enemies surrounding them. Carefully the women fell into formation, standing in a tight square, shoulder to shoulder with each other, their lungs fighting for air as their exhausted bodies stood in tense waiting. The men around them stood back, ready to act but unwilling to approach the four, formidable forces of nature to be dealt with. To top it off the women should have been dead long ago from their fleeing, fighting and injuries of the last few days—it was unthinkable that they still lived, let alone fought._

"_Stay back men, don't let them touch you!" The leader of the small group around them bellowed, indicating to the women that the men were aware of what they could do._

"_Girls, if we live through this, we have to make it to the __S__hunkashuutou__ Grove. And as much as we don't want to, we have to preserve the balance of the world and relinquish our power to the safekeeping of the scroll until our descendants can take up the power again. They have already taken our __Tennō__, they shall not have us!" A woman with white hair and brown eyes—clearly the leader and eldest of the four—spoke hastily as she gasped for air._

_All four took out their swords, ready to fight, moving as if they were talking to one another and strategizing, but their mouths never moved and words never passed the threshold of their lips. Two men came at them, testing each one. Standing ready, knowing that they had no choice but to allow the power to consume them if they were to live, the four females readied themselves. One of the two ninja met a bitter end after he dared get too close to the woman with soft red hair and bright blue eyes. Another young and overzealous ninja was caught and dispatched by the girl with snow white locks. _

_The other two women stood equally as intimidating in their posture. One apple green eyes and brown hair, the other with uniquely colored eyes and raven black hair watched the four remaining ninja warily. Allowing the power to come forth, the typical loose ninja garb each woman wore changed. The transformation put the women in regal postures with looks of scorning; they were now Queens and their eyes and faces conveyed that with certainty. Their loose ninja garb transformed to gowns of quality and jewelry of immense value. Their long, loose hair rose to bind into styles of immaculate fashion. _

"_You dare cross us? You know you cannot defeat us, we are the __Kōgō no S__hunkashuutou, you hold no sway over us and you pose no threat that we cannot easily defeat. Be gone from our sight!__" The woman with the russet hair spoke with a condescending tone, in a voice that sounded oddly as if there were more than one voice. The authority of their voices was clear and intimidating with each syllable._

"_We will kill you! And in doing so, free the world of your violence and reign of corrupted influence! And when we do, we will rule the world in peace!" Again the man bellowed at them, yet it had no effect on the women who stood with open scoffing. _

"_You're the ones who are corrupted, you're the ones who will lead the world into chaos and control it for your own gain. We keep the balance of the world! You're the ones who want to throw that away. You're greed and pettiness is what we protect the world from!" The royalty in their fine garments merely swept their right arms out in front of their bodies with more grace than any dancer could achieve and they were gone in swirls, one of fire, one of snow flakes, one of dust and one of wind._

_Ahead of the four remaining men they reappeared, far enough ahead to been seen only as distant figures. Again the men were after them, and slowly they gained on the four who fled but flagged from the exhaustion and wounds already acquired. Again they were surrounded, but again the pursuers were thwarted. With unimpressed smiles or scornful frowns the four used their left hands to sweep across their bodies and again were gone, this time farther. The woman with chestnut hair turned to dust and floated away, the woman with hair of clean cotton faded and became the wind, the one with a blaze of crimson hair was consumed in flames and flew away as and the last with midnight hair changed into flowing water that spun through the air._

_Minutes later the women were far enough away to flee the distance they needed to go, and with that relief in their minds they allowed themselves to change back into their normal attire and pulled the power into submission within themselves. As they reached the protective archway leading into the __S__hunkashuutou__ Grove, the girls stopped to protect the archway from being found by the remaining men close enough to see the archway. Turning to the four men fast approaching, the larger group very far behind now, the women knew that if they could silence the last men no one would be able to find the __S__hunkashuutou Grove._

_The males came at them, not hesitating in the least even at the thought of being touched, determined to keep the females from entering the __S__hunkashuutou Grove. If they made it in, no one would be able to hinder the completion of their mission. Once they made it to the Grove, it was all over, and the men knew it. So they fought on, determined to stop the four now nearing death._

_The first foolish man was too hasty in his attack, and came too close to the one of hair like a cloud. One of her hands grabbed the man's arm and spun him until his back met a tree while her other hand grabbed the base of his neck, fingers resting on his neck and her palm over his collar bones. With a snarl her eyes glowed silver, and as she gripped the terrified man his eyes stared unseeingly and his body turned to a white stone which then melted into a fine white mist. Each of the women could touch a man in the same way, each touch having a differing effect corresponding with the differing nature of their powers._

_The ebony haired woman also portrayed silver glowing eyes, turning the man she touched to a statue of solid ice before he melted into a puddle of water. The other men, upon seeing the demise of their fellow ninja, came at the flagging group more cautiously. But in the end it was for naught, although they came determined to kill they did not live through their mission. The third man, who confronted the mahogany haired beauty met the presented golden eyes, and within seconds was touched and turned into a clay statue before crumbling to dust. The last man confronted the lovely female with vermillion tendrils, also bearing gold glowing eyes, and when touched turned into a statue of cooling lava until a moment later when he was reduced to ash._

_As the ladies turned to the archway and fled inside the base of a cliff side mountain, the one with brown hair allowed the power to rise up again and change her to the Queenly stature of before. With a lifting of her hands, growling in outrage, a wall of dirt and rock rose up, encasing the archway and shutting all that was within the __S__hunkashuutou Grove from the world, thereby protecting all that was precious._

_Once inside the four moved slowly, taking time to gather their breaths and to rest. After they had travelled through a good sized tunnel they entered an opening. In the cavern there were people milling about, some keeping oil-filled torches on the wall burning, others harvesting a garden of food below a large pond that received flowing water from the mountain top. A small creek took the water down the middle of the garden, irrigating it, and into the ground to caverns below the surface of the ground floor. _

_This was a peaceful place, full of people who cared for the __S__hunkashuutou Grove in exchange for protection and peace. Light filled the huge cavern, from crevice holes in the mountain top while a dome of the ceiling was covered with glass to provide the sun's rays to filter in. The shining glow gave the cavern enough light to shine off the waters, tan the workers and feed the many plants that grew inside the mammoth cavern hidden within the mountain._

_As the four moved, the people stepped from their path and bowed, as if royalty walked before them. With resolute steps they walked to the center of the large meadow like enclosure where a pedestal of white marble stood five feet tall. An opened scroll rested on its platform. The woman with winter time hair limped heavily as the sepia haired one held an arm protectively over her left side. The scarlet headed lady clutched at her stomach as the raven haired woman kept her left arm held in her right hand. _

_Each figure bled profusely as they walked, finally coming to stand before the pedestal and stare. With grieving hearts for their lost __Tennō, and the knowledge that soon they would give up their powers to the safekeeping of the scroll until their descendants could come to retake the power that belonged to their families, the four shared a glance. Sorrows and joys were shared in those brief moments; together their memories were gathered and intertwined as they prepared to pour them all out._

"_We give our gifts of power, all knowledge of the power and the balance of the power on this planet to the scroll and we command that the scroll allowed none but a first daughter of our own blood to receive the power. All others presuming to steal our gifts, we demand they be punished with death for their intrusion." With these solemn words the each separately placed their right hand on their corner of the scroll. _

_Turning their heads away and letting the power be taken from their bodies and into the scroll, the girls knew that bright lights flared from their hands. A dim grey light came from the woman with hair of snow, a gold light from the one with a blaze of fire crowning her head, a green light from the lady with hair the color or rich soil and a blue light from the last, with tendrils of night cascading from her head._

_Tears fell down their checks as the faces of their dead Tennō and the smiling faces of the children they had been entrusted to relatives flashed before their mind's eye. Allowing the exhaustion and pain to take them slowly to sleep's door they each faded to the ground where they slipped peacefully into death. _

_Their bodies would be taken care of, the people protected by the power in the Mountain Grove would see that they were buried well, and their spirits were going to be with their lost Tennō. Now everyone only had to wait for the descendants who would someday retake the power of the __S__hunkashuutou. But that time of waiting was undetermined, and always would be until first daughters of their blood could find their way to the scroll. If there were any living first daughters of the blood, let alone if they found their way to the waiting scroll. _

Sitting up and shaking their heads each woman looked to one another and then to the scroll on the ground. Lifting the ancient paper and replacing it in her pack the doe eyed girl stood. As each woman stood they felt power well up within them and took deep breaths to control this strange rising force of power. However, controlling it came easily, and within minutes they were feeling normal, if not a little off balance.

Looking down at herself each lady gasped, they were no longer themselves, but instead stood in gowns that only royalty would wear. With eyes glowing silver or gold, they pulled the power back, pushing it into complete submission so they could change into their normal appearance. It was going to take some getting used to, waking up to see one's self like that.

Knowledge seeped into their awareness, revealing things about themselves and the people in the graves. What power they controlled and how to use it, as well as what they were, slowly and carefully. Although they could not seem to grasp a few fuzzy facts, they felt the slow trickle of information. Very slowly they learned facts of their lives and what was ahead of them as hums of happiness and joy reverberated in thrills exulting in freedom.

Additionally, it became evident that they must search every record for any mentions of the four women. Furthermore, the four women would have to request to search for the information in the ally nations as well, for any mentions of Fuyuko, Atsuko, Kuniko and Fuu. The last of their respective families, the ones who possessed the aforementioned mysterious powers before sealing them into the scroll for safekeeping:the Kōgō no Shunkashuutou ladies.

And they had to find any mention of their husbands, called Tennō. Those four were named Tomoya, Takeo, Yota and Yuya. The knowledge of those four names triggered something in the four women: night, day, spirit and knowledge. Things represented by the Tennō men and the power given to them.

"Day? Like happiness and cheer, a man that portrays those qualities? Sounds like a certain blonde we know. Although I think he may take it a little too far at times." With an uneasy laugh the other three girls agreed with the speaker.

"And spirit? I can only think of one who uses his spirit to get through life without submitting completely to others." Her eyes of liquid chocolate blinked at the others who nodded.

"What about knowledge? I mean come on; pretty obvious." The others murmured their agreement as they pictured the one the sky eyed beauty spoke of.

"Night, well, the dark and creepy solemnity of night is certainly embodied by _him_." With a bitter scowl the last of the four spoke, as the nameless man's image registered before scowls lifted their lips.

A niggling at the back of their minds caused them uneasiness, but they were unsure of what that nudge meant. Some sort of warning about the Tennō, something was unusual about the thoughts of who they knew to be of those qualities. Abandoning those musings and deciding it would be best to research everything, the women felt the slow trickle of knowledge, but it was taking time, something they were not sure they had.

The four knew that their power had been passed from generation to generation of first daughters, and they knew just how lucky they were that they had not died; in fact, they were incredibly lucky that _they _had been the four sent and that they were the descendants of those four women. With sighs and nods of agreement, the four ran out of their cave, the men searching for them long forgotten as they swished their right arms across their bodies and disappeared in swirls of fire, snowflakes, dust and a gust of wind.

The people after them stood no chance of finding them anymore, as they had more important things to do, the first being to get home and report. Whether to gain power or some secret the scroll possessed, thirty-seven women and seventy-eight men had died trying to open the scroll. One thing was clear, along with their report; the four beauties had questions to ask.

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So, tell me what you think in a review. =)


	2. Sakura Get's Angry

So, here's chapter 2...I plan on getting a new chapter out on the last day of every month...but I'm not sure how long that will be kept up, not to mention I don't know how long this story will go on for...so if I miss an update, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but please don't get after me. Sometimes things come up and you just don't have the time to write or update. But I WILL do my best to keep to the schedule.

Thanks, enjoy and tell me what you think in a review!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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Sakura had turned twenty-two a week before being sent on a mission. She had no real problem with that, it was a short six day mission, she just hated having to come home tired when she was supposed to be going to a party in her honor the next day. Knowing how she hated to arrive that way, Sakura had taken the extra night to sleep instead of hurrying home, it would be easier to sleep all night and arrive in time for her party than to be extremely tired at it.

Now as she walked into the gates of Konoha while pushing her ANBU mask to the side of her head, she felt refreshed and ready for a full day of fun as soon as she reported to the Hokage. An unmistakable hint of knowledge came to her; five people approaching had Sakura turning back to the gate, eyes blazing. She knew one of the chakra signatures, and another that was distantly familiar. This wasn't new; she'd known they were behind her for the past day, only Hokage orders kept her from turning back and killing them all. They had traveled fast today to be only a short distance behind her at the gate.

With a grunt of disgust Sakura stood in the middle of the gates entrance, waiting. She knew who was coming even without them being in sight. Irritated as she was at their audacity, she had to wonder, did they thinking they could simply waltz into Konoha?

A sharp word to one of the guardsmen sent him running for the Hokage while Sakura stood guard. The second guardsman knew he was free to leave or watch the coming display. He could make a guess about the ones coming, there were only two groups Haruno Sakura would have bothered to guard wait for. The power they possessed must be great; her face gave away that. But the guard also knew other things, like Sakura and the other three were unmatched. Every ninja in Konoha and their ally nations knew it. Soon enough the arriving group would also know her power was matched only by her temper.

"_This won't be pleasant; there are new arrivals to deal with and a promise to fulfill._" Her voice echoed, getting three murmurs of agreement, only moments later knowledge reached her about their movements through town toward her.

The scene of two tall muscular men, followed by a smaller silver haired man, an even taller more muscular man with bright hair, and a woman with odd hair and glasses greeted her emerald eyes. Folding her arms, Sakura scowled, answers would be had or heads would roll. She didn't want or have time to deal with this group of traitors and enemies; it would not be Sakura's head rolling if push came to shove with any of them.

The last two Uchiha ambled along towards her. Itachi and Sasuke walked in the point position with Team Hebi slightly behind them. Sasuke was in front, looking at her with a blank face, which of course was not expected _at all_. A thought of, 'sarcasm is my friend' flitted into her mind, as did many unkind remarks about Sasuke and the entire Uchiha line.

Staring back with equal emptiness, Sakura looked him up and down. Flicking glances at his team, then back to him, Sakura looked him up and down again, judging him. The usual amused smirk of complete arrogance graced his face. It would seem he thought she still had a crush on him; the arrogant little child had _no _idea who he was dealing with.

As Sasuke's company came to a halt in front of her, she gave a grunt and stared back at him. Refusing to give anything away, she simply waited for what was to come. She knew the Hokage would soon be on his way, with a light tap of her foot a message was sent to six other people in the village. They would understand what she sent, only because she wanted them to hear, she received knowledge back from their specific ways about each of them; they were almost to her position.

When Kakashi finally appeared, late as usual, Naruto's voice could be heard loudly yelling about Sasuke returning. Wishing her loud mouthed friend wouldn't announce that to the _entire_ village, Sakura simply waited. Having already talked to the Hokage, she knew she would not be satisfied with the events about to unfold. TenTen, Ino and Hinata all landed beside Sakura in mere moments to stand like a wall between their village and the force of gathered missing-nin.

"So you return Sasuke and Itachi, and you brought guests, interesting. I take it you want to live and have a reduced punishment sentence for all the things you've done for the village?" Everyone knew the brothers had disposed of Konoha enemies, but they all knew it was because of personal reasons.

"Well, this might surprise you, but I agree to your return. A year of probation, low ranked missions for six months after that, and you'll have to be monitored by ANBU for two years. Your team will have probation for three years, with two years of low ranked missions. That is, _if_ they prove themselves loyal to us. Then they before may be allowed citizenship in Konoha." The team scowled at the length of time, but said nothing.

"Afterwards you can take all the exams and so on, maybe one day even reach ANBU status." Sakura knew this would happen, and she was most displeased, as were the other three at Kakashi's previously decided plans.

"There is a flaw in your punishment. Itachi is blind, Sasuke has power of them. Just before Sasuke killed Itachi, he transferred his techniques. Some idiot medic-nin brought him back at the price of his own life. We have no idea why he brought Itachi back from the dead, but obviously he hadn't seen a bingo book in forever! Since transferring all his techniques to Sasuke, Itachi no longer has the use of his eyes, not to mention his bloodline limit. He can't be a ninja again, that should have been apparent even to idiots, and yet you overlook it. Some ninja you are!" Karin spoke with scorn, and Sakura resisted the urge to break her face, like they had missed Itachi's black eyes staring sightlessly in a direct line at nothing?

Instead Sakura seethed at their light punishment, if it had been Tsunade, who had only just stepped down as Hokage to take over one of the positions open as village elder last month, the punishment would have been harsher. Yet Kakashi was now Hokage, with Naruto as his assistant training to become the next Hokage. Sakura had spoken with Naruto and Kakashi, if Sasuke ever returned of his own violation, this sentence would be given. She was their key to success with Sasuke and his team; the four girls had created a Jutsu that only one person besides themselves had been allowed to master.

"Yes, we had noticed that. Itachi will have his punishment, without his eyes. We need to discuss some things, because we still have the Uchiha massacre to find out about. Sasuke's message assured me they would sit with the council and I to explain why things were not as simple as everyone thought. Once everything has been explained, if Itachi can be prove himself loyal to us, he will be allowed to take the Exams. There is so much to go over, once you're all settled, everyone will come to my office to talk, Itachi will stay after that meeting." Kakashi glanced at the impassive Itachi before going on.

"I will have his eyes looked at. In fact, I'll have the very best look at his eyes, you'll do it won't you Sakura?" Kakashi waved his hand dismissively, as if the loss of sight was nothing but a fly in a tornado as he looked at Sakura with a smile that in no way _asked_ for her compliance.

The feel of Sasuke's eyes irritated her, and when she did nothing but stand like a statue, Naruto broke into nervous babbling. "Of course Sakura will help Itachi, once he proves himself, and we can be sparing partners! I'm finally going to show you how good I've become, and I'm going to beat you bas-"

"Shut up baka." It was the first time Sasuke had spoken, but his voice was just as emotionless as his face.

Sakura could only suppress a snort of disgust. She didn't care one way or the other what they did or who she had to heal, as long as they stayed away from her after she did her duty, she had no trouble with any of them. They were a mere blip on her radar, and she'd rather have them taken off it quickly.

She just didn't want to have to be bothered with them or social calls, and that wasn't even in the realm of medical visits. Still only a few feet in front of them Sakura shifted her feet as she got ready to move, but a warning look from Kakashi made her reluctantly back down. She hated when he did that, as if she were still a child in need of guidance.

"Whatever." Only her simple rolling of the eyes and complete disregard of Naruto's babbling had Sasuke narrowing his eyes at her.

When Itachi shifted his head as if to look at her, Sakura rolled her eyes again, without wondering how Itachi could tell where she stood, and spoke, "Yes, I'll look at him. I can tell already it won't take but an hour to fix him. But he won't have the use of his bloodline limit, that can't be helped. If he ever _manages_ to find someone unhinged enough to give him children they will have the bloodline limit, the genetics can't be changed."

They knew as well as she that there were many women who found their power and fame desirable, no matter how the managed to gain it. Some would find their dangerous personalities more desirable, simply because they liked the danger the Uchiha symbolized. She thought they women like that were mentally unstable.

Itachi cocked his head at her; Sasuke looked at her with bemused indulgence, as if he didn't think she should fix Itachi's eyes. And the fact that they knew some women would want them only served to buffer her remark. She didn't care either way, Itachi could stay blind until his dying day, and Sasuke was only the shell of the boy she had loved. What did she care about any of this let alone him? He was nothing to her now, and his opinion was of the same value. She had much more important things to attend to.

One of those important things was to find the two remaining men that had been tracking her for two days. They had finally caught up. Everyone else was taking their sweet time in noticing the two running up the road, their faces masks of hate. In response to their approach her blood boiled and her rage covered all other emotion as a very light mist of gold flashed over her eyes.

When the men finally came within seeing distance of the gate each person realized their approach; a little late in Sakura's opinion. Not that it mattered; Sakura had a way of knowing things in a way very few could compete with. The reality was that only Ino, TenTen and Hinata could fully understand, there were three others that had a smaller sense, not as strong as theirs, and they had no idea about the fourth.

Seeing the men that she had longed to search for coming straight to her, Sakura gladly accepted that she would have her revenge. Unlike Sasuke, revenge wasn't enough to pull her from her life and duties.

Sasuke obviously knew that something was disturbing her, he watched with his usual stare transferring from her to the two men running steadily up the road. A growl rose from Sakura's chest as she worked at not breaking the closest thing to her, which happened to be Sasuke. Not that she would particularly mind taking her anger out on him. But after what Kakashi had said, it would have been a bad choice. Gritting her teeth against the urge to tear Sasuke apart, Sakura let out another low guttural noise of frustration.

The men stopped suddenly, watching them from fifty feet away, clearly surprised to see so many people gathered at the gate. "Send out the Haruno girl. We have unfinished business. She never came after us as planned, so now we've come for her. It's time to pay for her transgressions."

Everyone but Sasuke and his group narrowed their eyes. Team Hebi's reactions ranged from complete boredom to confusion. Wrath filled Sakura; they dare speak of her transgressions? Theirs were far worse, the transgressions against them, as they claimed, were merely in response to their grievous actions against her and her family.

"Sakura, go." With the Hokage's permission and nod of his head, Sakura was gone, a satisfied smile gracing her face before she pulled her ANBU mask over her face.

Speeding down the road towards the couple, the two started forward also. Sakura was aware of onyx eyes following her progress, but she ignored them. Once she was close enough Sakura jumped, a cartwheel flip sent her over the shorter man who ran ahead of the second.

At the start of her flip she used his shoulder to vault into the next, Sakura heard them both snarl at her. The short man went down with the pressure of her hand, his knees buckling as his legs broke under her strength. A sickening crunch was heard from his lower half, a jarring pop from the shoulder she crushed when gripping it for the vault over him.

The taller man had just enough time to dodge Sakura's foot as she flew through the air towards him with deadly aim. She briefly landed in a crouch before rising to slowly prowling her surprised but mobile prey around the fallen and screaming first victim. Pulling out Kunai, Sakura sent them flying and immediately performed a few hand seals as she studied the man's body position.

Seeing from the direction his hips and chest turned, she knew where the man was going to dodge to. Sakura's body became a fluttering mass of tiny petals. Not taking any notice of the tree that fell with the impact of her Kunai, or the boulder it half decimated after it ripped through the tree trunk, the blossoms gathered to solidify leaving Sakura standing right behind where the man would land.

With her profile to the gate, Sakura lifted her hand and pressed her index finger into the base of the man's head just as he landed from his jump. Quickly she jabbed another two points before he could fall. He crumpled to the ground, dead from the sudden lack of brain activity. Moving swiftly Sakura stepped close to the still screaming man, lifted him by his good shoulder as if he were nothing but a small branch and spoke.

"I told you _never_ to come back! My duties keep me close to home, but I warned you the day I allowed you to leave the village! I told you four years ago never to return, to always keep an eye open for me! You didn't listen; instead you came right to me! You've forfeited your life!" Her screaming voice echoed over all of Konoha.

She had told these men to never come back to Konoha or she would kill them. She had meant it! They had cost her the sister she never thought she would have, and the mother who had passed to her a great gift. She hadn't even known about that gift until five months after her mother's death. Often she had wondered what would have happened if she had received her power five months before, instead of after, their deaths.

The men had left a bomb to destroy her home. Her mother was returning home from the market and had just stepped inside the gate to their house when the blast occurred. She had been rushed to the hospital to recover; the blast's shrapnel had forced a miscarriage. When she had heard, Sakura had nearly lost it.

Her father had died five months before while on a mission, and her mother was just getting to a point of acceptance. She grieved, as did Sakura, but they both had much to live for, specifically the child growing in her mother's womb. Many had thought that her mother would never be able to have another child after Sakura. But here they were, her mother pregnant, her father recently deceased, and Sakura supporting them while they dealt with their grief.

They had taken her mother and the unexpected joy that was her unborn sister. Sakura was ready to become an older sister. Then the men had come, four of them determined to get revenge on Sakura's mother for killing their youngest brother years ago. They planned one family member for another, an eye for an eye as the saying went.

But her mother had walked to her death that day, bringing her second daughter with her. It had been one thing to lose her father and the sibling she never dreamed of having. But to go to the hospital, and to be told that her mother was gone too, that had been it. She was half mad with grief.

The bomb not only caused her mother to lose the baby, but the shrapnel had damaged her lungs. It wasn't noticeable to the medics who concentrated on the baby and torn womb. Her mother's lungs had filled with fluid, slowly suffocating as the medics fought to save the infant that was only twenty-one weeks along. It was possible to save babies after the twenty week mark, but it was not to be. It wouldn't matter how hard the medics fought, the baby didn't stand a chance.

After hours of surgery, the death of the mother, and finding out that the child's brain and heart had been damaged, the medics had given up. Now, after four years Sakura had killed the men that murdered her family. The sentence was carried out and price of their deeds paid. Yet the memories of that day would not be put to rest, they swamped her like a plaque.

Sasuke didn't think anyone would ever understand his trauma, but Sakura knew that terror. And she despised him for his weakness, abandoning his team and responsibilities to get 'stronger,' as if he needed the snake man to get strong. Sakura hadn't seen her entire clan's bodies laid out in death, but she had been a surgeon working to save her mother and sister. She hadn't just lost a patient, which was always hard in and of itself, but she had been working on family. The only family she had left. She had been there for her mother's last breath and seen her lifeless infant sister removed from the room.

There was nothing they could do; the baby had died only minutes before the mother. And Sakura had been left alone, as empty and cold as the lifeless bodies that had been her family. She had sworn revenge; she had yelled it to the skies and across the village. Her shouts of rage and agony had echoed off Hokage Mountain and through the forests. The men had been in the village, they had come to her decimated home to mock her. Only two had left, with them was a warning to run, hide and always fear for their lives.

Unexpected surprises and duties, as well as her adamant friends, had kept her from chasing the men down. They hadn't allowed her to get depressed or to seclude herself away, so she had trained all the harder, understanding with clarity the path before her. Any childish dreams or hopes of any nature, including any involving Sasuke, had died.

The surprises had given her something to work and live for, something to protect. Yet it had all changed when she had gone on the mission and the gift from her mother had become known, everything had changed just as her mood had. Now as she had her revenge, everything was being put to rest, and Sakura could go on with her life as she had been unable to do thus far. Touching a glowing palm to the man's chest, Sakura let his body fall to the ground, her mind unburdened by his death.

Stepping to the fallen tree, Sakura hefted the large object and moved it to the road as if it were no more than a simple shoebox. Next she ripped the trunk from the ground as easily as a large sticker from her finger. Putting the trunk next to the fallen tree, Sakura lifted the bodies and threw them into the resulting hole, like she would throw two miniscule rocks into a pond.

On her face a look of cold indifference did not slip, she felt nothing for murderers. Picking up the half decimated boulder, Sakura set it over the gap and landed the side of her fist on top of the rock. As it crumbled murmurs could be heard from the gate, she really wasn't that far from the entrance, not that she cared. If anyone was foolish enough to get in the way, she could easily heal them.

Unless it was someone like Sasuke, Itachi, Suigetsu or Karin, those she would leave for hospital workers. She was getting back from a mission and the next two days would be her days off after all, why would she expend her chakra on _them_? In that moment she looked more ruthless and brutal as a vengeful protector than any normal or even ninja woman. Such a drastic character shift in such a short time would never be seen again; of this the witnesses were sure.

Making sure there were no one but ninja watching, and thankful that no children had come to see the spectacle, Sakura started on the last step. Any child would be fascinated, but she was afraid of how the sights of such a thing could traumatize them if they were not expecting it. A dead body was not something most children would take kindly to, and a mutilated one like the man with broken legs would be even harder to forget.

Proceeding with something that would forever change the opinions of the returning Uchiha's and the three newcomers to Konoha, Sakura smiled. She transformed, her eyes shimmering gold, and her hair flying of its own accord into an extravagant hairstyle with tiny crisscrossing braids over a loose bun. A golden necklace hung about her neck in an exquisite display over her creamy skin.

The emerald green dress was magnificent; a corset that started two inches under the collar bone and hugged her body to her hips was over a gown shinning two shades of green. The skirt of her dress fell to the ground in one layer of dark green and another of a lighter sheer green flowing to leave an inch or so to puddle on the ground. At the top of the corset, the two layers of green came up from the corset in a 'V' shape, going over her shoulders and crossing behind her neck before attaching at the gowns back under the corset.

The corset was golden brown supple leather, contrasting with her green dress. Adding an element of elegance was the embroidery at the corsets sweetheart style top and the corsets bottom. In the three shades of green ivy flowed along the corsets hems, and from those vines tiny red, yellow, blue, pink and purple flowers grew. Small enough to be a part of the ivy but large enough to be seen, the flowers flourished radiantly against the green of the leaves and leather.

Her gold necklace had one round gold setting, resting just under the U of her collar bone, boasting an emerald cut to look like a mountain peak. From the bottom of the setting hung a short chain of gold that attached to a small emerald cut to look like a tree. That emerald cut tree rested in the 'V' of her gown top. On her head, in a compliment to her necklace, appeared a halo of intertwining twigs and leaves, emeralds nestled in the middle of every other twisted branch.

On her hands wooden rings appeared. Her index fingers held one with an Emerald the other with a Ruby. On her middle fingers were a Sapphire and a Pearl, the third fingers held the most important ones. Each ring was unique, but the ones on her third fingers showed her station. The left was a Diamond, the right a Jade. On her pinkies were Opal and Onyx, and her thumbs were graced with Amethyst and Tiger's Eye. Each smooth wooden sphere was carved into delicate designs so that the gems seemed part of the wood.

When she was in this state, nothing of the earth could hurt her, she completely controlled it. She, Ino, TenTen and Hinata had gone on a mission about three and a half years ago. They had to retrieve a scroll known to hold a powerful secret. But the girls had been chased by some very powerful ninja, and in an attempt to keep the secret, the girls had opened the scroll. They had intended to memorize the contents and be able to rewrite it once home.

They had not been told what was truly in the scroll because lack of knowledge kept it as a secret from the ancient times, only that no one of ill repute should have it. Upon opening the scroll the girls were not met with ancient runes or even seals, instead four thumb sized pictures in each of the four corners had appeared just as lights shown off the old paper. Green, gold, blue and grey had flown up their arms and into the faces of the four.

As they were given the ancient secrets, they had not bothered to destroy the scroll; instead they had brought it home. It was no longer valuable without the power and if they ever needed to do as their ancestors once did; they would have the scroll whenever they needed to hide their gifts. They did not assume that they would have to again hide the awakened forces, but it was possible that such an action would have to be taken, and they were taking no chances.

The ancient powers of the Kōgō no S**hunkashuutou** had been passed to them. Held secret and captive for so long, Shizune had nearly fainted at the extreme, what should have been impossible, luck they had. Only the blood decedents of the ancient Kōgō no S**hunkashuutou women could have taken the secret without being killed by it. They had unknowingly risked death. Or so they had thought.**

**That Sakura, Ino and TenTen were the last decedents of their bloodlines, first daughters no less, only made it harder to bare; they and anyone else could have been killed by the scroll's ancient power. It had been interesting, with TenTen and Sakura having no bloodline limits, they had been surprised at first, until they realized why their lines had been chosen. Mind, eye, body and chakra were what were chosen. Not because of their lines, but because of what their lines possessed. **

**TenTen's was unusually good with weapons, her aim and reflexes were exceptional, she was counted as the body. Sakura had nearly flawless chakra control, and because of that unusual talent, she counted as the chakra. Hinata's bloodline limit with eyes, since she was the first daughter of the first daughter, counted as the eyes. And Ino's with the bloodline limit of mental ability, counted as the mind.**

**Hinata had family enough to keep many more decedents alive through time, but they hadn't known until later that only one of the families could have been able to inherit the power. Thankfully for Hinata she was the first born daughter. Unless the first died, the second daughter or someone of the blood next in line as oldest of the blood would be able to take up the power, but only if the first daughter died without having a daughter. **

**That had been the gifts of the parents; the blood of the ancient warrior women called **Kōgō no S**hunkashuutou. The commanders of the seasons, with their** Tennō** men, had ruled the natural world and protected the people. They had locked away their powers in the scroll before their deaths. Making sure that their descendants would eventually be able to gain the powers and protect the world and its people. **

**That information had overwhelmed almost every member of the new council when they had been told. The four were still Konoha ninja and would continue in their duties, but when it came down to it, these four were the superior authority. Their **Tennō would be as superior as they, but the women were stronger, but they were therefore not as influential in the eyes of the council. Yet the women had made it clear, the Tennō had as much authority as they had, and should be afforded as much respect.

With many well placed punches Sakura had the rocks crumbling into gravel over the bodies. That done Sakura swept her hands from their separated state until her thumbs met. As her hands moved, so did the dirt as it covered the rock. Upturning and lifting her hands slightly Sakura watched as grass grew from the soil, even a few flowers stood tall as if to defy the men beneath their roots. A sardonic smile lifted her lips, they did not deserve to have flowers on their graves but the blooms looked so beautiful that she couldn't help thinking of them as her own personal version of mockery.

Lastly Sakura turned her hands to the rubble she hadn't moved. Ino appeared out of nowhere at Sakura's silent call, and sent a long river of shimmering orange and purple fire at the boulder's remains to melt them. After Ino was done she stepped back to wait for the rest of what she needed to do. Raising her hands Sakura watched as the ground did also, and at her command it closed over the molten rock, from there Sakura made a large headstone shape and placed it over the grave, allowing the extra soil to fall back to the earth.

With her hand glowing red Ino wrote a message to any and all that might pass. '_Traitors and murderers will be dealt with_' Ino added the two men's names and the date of their demise for dramatic effect. Anyone walking up this road would see it and know. Sakura could only think that it was a pity this hadn't happened earlier, then she could have had some real fun with Sasuke and his group. But alas, the only murderers she got to kill were the two pathetic killers, while letting the traitors walk free. It made her upset yes, but what could she do, the Hokage had spoken.

Walking past them all, Sakura nodded to Kakashi, then moved on. The sight of Karin shrinking away from her and Ino with wide eyes made Sakura smirk with a hint of cruelty. Suigetsu simply looked at her with an intrigued expression, almost worshipful which Sakura thought odd. Juugo looked as if he had seen an angel, and Sakura understood why he might think that. From what Shizune had been saying about his condition and needed medical help, to rebalance his chemical insanity to stop the rages, he may as well have been looking at a saving angel.

Sakura was the only one who had the skill and control to perform the needed procedures on him, and she had already said she would do it, the man didn't want this, she knew that already. The soil and trees had told her everything about them, Juugo had spoken to the animals, and the trees had transferred the information through the inhabitants that spoke to Juugo. She knew all that he wished to erase from his past and all that he wished to do with his future.

Sasuke simply raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "And that was what?"

He wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Kakashi. As if Kakashi had been the one to defeat the men and not her! The imbecile would know her wrath just as surely as the nature around them protected her. The feeling of rage rose like bile in her throat; he didn't know who he was dealing with! And although she wanted to break him in half, she had to keep her cool; she really didn't need to be the cause of another earthquake.

Simply looking over her shoulder at Sasuke, bored with him and his idiocy, Sakura explained as if she were speaking to a five year old. The Queen within her came out, expressing her indignation at such a petulant child. Nothing could be seen from his empty stare, but she knew from the information the soil sent her that he was peeved at her manner with him.

He thought he deserved more respect, at the very least for the abilities he had and the fact that he could kill her instantly if he so chose. Not that it was possible, but he could dream, he was no match for her. She took a breath anyways, if he wanted to know, she would tell the ignorant man all he would never understand.


	3. Who They Really Are

HA-HAH! So, I'm proud of myself for getting this out ON TIME! Uhm, this is a crazy long chapter! It's like 6 and a half pages long...so not ONE WORD about my publishing things once a month...I think it's pretty good that I have a set schedule and its not to update once every six months!

So, Enjoy this next chapter! AND...review PLEASE and tell me what you think!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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Sakura tilted her head, looking down her nose at the newly arrived group. All watched her attentively, except Sasuke who looked at her with well held contempt and Itachi who simply couldn't. The fool, his dark eyes spoke of secrets, things not shared with his companions. She couldn't seem to gather the information; the soil was unable to access it, something that had never happened before.

The only thing that registered was that it was also cut off from Sasuke, as if he had shut something deep inside, so much that he had forgotten. And with Sasuke, it could be any number of atrocities he had committed, or seen committed. But the power of the Kōgō was not deterred; she would remain stalwart in her scorn of his ignorance while continuing her searching.

"The one who commands nature does not answer to anyone as a servant might, let alone a traitor who knows nothing of the things and people around him! The Kōgō noHaru has no need to explain herself to _anyone, _least of all _**you**_!" With that said in her oddly two toned voice, Sakura started away, her pace sedate and steady in the gliding walk that of a Queen amongst her court.

"You can't talk to Sasuke that way! He's significant to history, and the future! Unlike you! All four of you are the street paving under his feet! Nothing but sniveling little urchins; not worthy of his presence! You should bow before him and beg for mercy, that he not kill you this instant for presenting your filth before him! The great leader of the Uchiha clan deserves your respect; show it before he adds your name to his list of death!" Karin shouted, as if she knew better than they.

Sasuke killing them at that instant would get him executed on the spot; Karin was a true shining example of a person with a balloon's IQ. Falling in step behind Sakura were her three best friends, each girl giving the same regal look to the returning brothers and their three companions. That they were Empresses in their own right, of each specific season and corresponding element was unknown to the newcomers or anyone outside the most elite ninja ranks. Of course Sakura's speech had given some of that away, not that anyone expected the arrivals to understand any of what she had said.

Upon the words shouted by Karin, the girls stilled their movements. They turned, each glaring holes into Karin for daring to say such things. With their unusual sense of honor and pride, more so than even an Empress or Queen, they reacted in a stately manner. Sakura calmly stepped forward again, with a superior tone she pointed to each of her friends, giving the demented redhead the information of their beings.

Hinata was indicated as Sakura declared in her usual voice of authority. "Kōgō no Huyu, Winter Empress. She's normally very nice and gentle, but you don't want to make her mad. She can be like the slowly falling snow, seemingly beautiful and harmless, until you find yourself in a snow covered world, completely lost and at the mercy of slow death compliments of freezing. Or in anger she can be as cold as any winter blizzard, swift and deadly."

Next she gestured to Ino, whose eyes almost burned with the insult. "Kōgō no Natsu, Summer Empress. And she _does_ embody the summer season. Wrath as angry and stifling as the summer heat, she controls fire and lava. Her temper can flare and die out or spread to consume everything in her path. Both quick and devastating or slowly creeping, leaving everything burned before anyone knows what's going on."

Then it was TenTen, who glared with a sneer at Karin as Sakura introduced her. "Kōgō no Aki, Autumn Empress, like the wind able to change from warm to cold. She can show a gentle kindness like a cool breeze on a hot day, and in the same way she can be as savage as the roaring winds of a storm, bending trees before its strength of will."

Finally Sakura pointed to herself. "I am the Spring Empress, full of nurturing warmth, but I can be very harsh. Like an angry avalanche I can bury you under a mountain, bitter like a late spring allows harsher weather to destroy early crops, devastating in any way I please. As steady, majestic and unmovable as the mountains, and as flexible as the tall grasses in a field, I can also allow the crops to flourish in abundance and make the flowers bloom. But rest assured I am not to be toyed with."

"The springtime cherry blossom as my name Haruno Sakura states, I am the Kōgō no Haru. And I tell you now, we will not be mocked! **Do not test us**!" Sakura let the power well up and lash out in wrath, her double voice growing deeper and more dominant with authority and raw power.

How dare she presume to be so arrogant on his, already overly arrogant, behalf? Did she wish for death? Did she want them to cut her down before she stepped more than ten feet within Konoha? That it could easily be arranged.

"TenTen controls the winds that changes the seasons and blow the leaves from the trees; Hinata controls the waters: the ice, snow and water that make the winter season, and Ino controls fire, like the blazing heat of the summer sun. Collectively we are called Kōgō no Shunkashuutou, like our ancestors before us, we wield the ancient power of the four seasons." At this point her voice changed completely, "_**And you would do well to remember it, you cowardly little cretin**_!"

Nothing in her voice sounded like the Sakura everyone knew, this woman spoke with authority, scorn, indignation and seriousness. _This _was the true voice of the Kōgō.

As each woman had her attributes listed, they allowed themselves to change into their Empress states. The powerful beings they were showed themselves. Each girl had the same gem of each ring in the same places, but the bands and their designs were different. Wearing similar but diverse corsets and sporting the same exquisite hair style. Other than that, they did not look at all alike. Just as their powers and personalities, their clothes were different and so were the things that gave them magnificent.

Ino was clad in a long gown of glowing gold, with a crown of molten lava, small cracks in the moving mass glimmered the red of its heat. Rubies were strewn periodically over the black and red halo. The dress glowed in the sunlight, the top had off the shoulder straps only two inches wide with a corset riding over her bust and hugging her to her waist. The gold top continued from under the corset to stop just above her navel, leaving an inch below where the corset stopped. Her corset was coal black with red vertical lines sprouting tiny curly cues resembling rivers of lava.

From her hips the skirt started, a two inch wide belt, matching the corset, held her long flowing skirt to her body. The six long layers ranging from dark orange by her skin to the lighter sheer layers of soft yellow muted the vibrant orange. As her eyes glowed gold, the golden necklace around her neck also shone. It was made of three flames, side by side; the largest flame at the center, reaching to the collar bone, had a ruby at the center of the flame.

"_**How **__**I would love to burn you from the inside out pathetic little ghoul**_." The speaker of the Kōgō in Ino's form smiled with malice as flames burst over her fingers and did a cheery little dance.

Karin cringed back, avoiding the blue eyes that had fire reflected in their depths. Funnier still was the way Suigetsu cringed away, instinctually knowing that this was one woman who could actually burn him, body of water or not.

Hinata wore a dress of light blue, it was not too tight, but it fit her well and rose to her collar bone in a soft rounded line. Under her bust a corset started and went to her hips, it was white with dark blue snowflakes swirling, a good amount of snowflakes flowing from the top left of the corset to tapper out to a small few snowflakes at the bottom right corner. On her head a crown of ice held sapphires within its cold grasp. Her necklace was a silver snowflake boasting one large sapphire on the center of the silver flake, resting on top of her dress in an area just below the neckline.

The back of her dress' top dipped slightly to become a small waterfall of blue, to just below her shoulder blades. She had embroidered snowflakes on the hems of her belled sleeves swaying in graceful waves of material in the breeze. The silken fabric of her sleeves, skirt, and waterfall at her back moved in the breeze like the rippling of a pond, as her eyes glowed silver.

"_**You can burn her alive all you want, but only after I've been allowed to freeze her first.**_" That Hinata spoke with such a strange voice might have been unusual given her personality, but the Kōgō's voice was truly cold enough to freeze a volcano as she blinked miniscule slivers of ice from Hinata's silver eyes.

TenTen was a beauty in her crown of silver braided ribbons twisting around white pearls, a silver necklace that intertwined like a breeze through the trees. In the intersecting silver chains were pearls in a pattern that seemed to wave across the skin. Her dress, a soft grey silk was overlaid by eight layers of sheer white, flowing to fit her body perfectly.

A corset of slate grey started over her bust and fell to her hips with no decoration except for the thick strap over her right shoulder that had an embroidered swirling of white going from the front, over the shoulder, and to the back. The corset was over the grey gown and two layers of sheer white fabric. The rest of the flowing dress, six sheer white layers over the corset, fell shapelessly to the ground and grazing over her body while easily swaying in the winds, making TenTen herself seem to move as part of the wind itself.

Her natural grace was evident, and to add to the effect, from the single shoulder strap rippled a white sheer cloth, one part flowing over her exposed shoulder to attach to the dress under the corset, and from the expanse of fabric across her back fell a small sheer cape to her waist. As if she were the actual breeze, coming to blur for a few minutes over the earth like a gentle whirling of dust around a person's feet.

"_**That's all well and good ladies, but I'd dearly like to blow this lout sky high and see where she lands. Chakra bound of course.**_" TenTen's Kōgō giggled, as if suggested a leisure day at a picnic opposed to killing Karin in such a gruesome way.

Each woman looked like magnificent Queens, each commanding an element and holding their secrets. Although there was more to the situation than the Sasuke's group knew of, there were more involved. More who would gladly devise ways of bringing Karin pain or death. But when you are the seasons, compassion goes to those who respect them, not to one who believes herself superior, let alone the one who thinks she is superior while defending another as bad as she.

Four Tennō men were out there, each chosen by the women. It had not been their intention, they hadn't even known at the time what they had done, but the women needed husbands like the ancient women before them. And so it had to be, four chosen by the Empresses, one man for each woman based on the men in their lives and their personalities.

The four Tennō men would be Naito for Night, Dei for Day, Gosei for Wisdom and Supiritto for Spirit. Each position had been filled as far as they knew. Three were already known which had caused more than a little embarrassment for the women involved. They hadn't known what was happening, but it was instantaneous. The first face to enter their heads took up the mantle of Tennō of that area. The fourth had not turned up yet, which was almost worse than knowing, because they all knew who it was, but wished and hoped that they were wrong.

"I don't care what you are! You can't speak to me that way! I'm soon to be the Uchiha Matriarch; I carry the Uchiha heir by Sasuke!" Karin's words of victory were met by flawlessly uncaring faces, although Sakura did take some control again.

"So you're to be called Uchiha Karin? That's the greatest and newest kind of horrific. As for an heir, I don't even want to know how that happened." The part of Sakura's brain that acknowledged that comment knew only two things, that kid would be supremely screwed up and she couldn't think how Sasuke could even live with himself for having a child by Karin.

"Well you see moron, when two people love one another-" Karin began with an idiotic self-centered smile, but Sasuke interrupted her.

"She drugged me; I had no choice or real part. But now I've an heir, so we will be married and she will give me my heir, nothing more will come of us." Even to the woman he was to marry Sasuke was a complete insensitive jerk, yet the only person Sakura could think of that would deserve that treatment, was Karin.

"How the child was conceived is of no matter, and I know how children are conceived; I am the best doctor the world has known so far. What I don't want to know is how anyone could stomach committing the act that is required to create a child with you; it's repulsive on so very many levels, but if he was drugged, that explains it." Sakura spoke with authority and two voices, even the power of the Kōgō was disturbed by the idea that Karin carried Sasuke's child.

Not that either of them cared that it was Sasuke's child, but for the simple fact that Karin was the mother, the child was sure to know a travesty of a life. It would have to live with a father incapable of any emotions of caring and a mother too far gone in her superiority complex to notice a child, let alone love it. That poor thing would definitely need therapy.

Before Sakura could do anything more to express her dislike of Karin and Sasuke, she probed through the soil and had to smirk. To be absolutely sure, Sakura moved forward, it took only a few steps, but she did not go as fast as was possible. Instead she moved with only a part of her true speed, a speed that Sasuke was fast enough to intercept. He stood between her and Karin, his arms folded and his look icy. She knew he was protecting his child, not Karin.

Itachi stood alone, but he didn't seem worried, just amused as he listened. Sakura smirked at Sasuke, he might stand in her way but it was not for long. Stepping around him Sakura moved faster than he ever could, not even his ability to copy would allow him to move as fast as she. Easily getting by him Sakura put one hand to Karin's forehead, holding her immobile and the other hand to Karin's stomach.

Chakra emanated from her hands until she was satisfied and without a word moved back to her waiting friends before speaking with certainty. "That conversation is no longer of any relevance, you carry no child Karin. Among more vile things, you are a liar and not to be trusted."

Sasuke's eyes bled red and he sent a very disgruntled look towards Karin, who now shifted in unease until her eyes met Sasuke's. She finally showed the possession of slight intelligence by coward into herself under his glare. He was not very chipper now, not that he ever was chipper to begin with. His angry gaze was followed by a grunt, but his next words made her blanch and hide behind Juugo.

"There will be no wedding, and you will stay away from me or I will kill you." Sasuke's voice was flat but harder than any metal known to man.

As if knowing that a new topic needed to be taken, Kakashi spoke up, "Sakura, the condition we spoke of? You four agreed to it, its time."

Nodding to Kakashi the girls quickly shared looks and thoughts about who was to take whom. Closing their eyes they changed back into their usual ninja outfits and usual hair styles. Each gave a sigh, it was easier to fight in their normal gear, plus they hated the stares they always acquired. Performing a few hand seals with a speed that was beyond even ninja comprehension they each touched a forehead of a person on Sasuke's team.

Sakura touched Sasuke, TenTen touched Suigetsu, Ino touched Karin and Hinata touched Juugo. A whistle from Sakura startled most everyone, but when nothing happened it was dismissed. If anyone was surprised that no one touched Itachi's forehead, they said nothing. He would be left to another person, and Sakura had known just who to call. It was going to be fun to watch! Her whistle had sent a signal to the person she wanted, and she was not disappointed.

A person landed behind the girls, bowing low to them in a show of respect. The person had been shrouded in mystery for years. It was said that many knew the person, but after some time of going missing, then returning and never removing the ANBU mask, even to shop, no one was really sure of who it was. So far the only ones who could perform the Jutsu used on Sasuke and his team had been the girls and their three Tennō men.

The one who had seen the Jutsu managed to perfect it, which may not have been surprising, except that no one could simply copy it. Not even the great Uchihas would be able to copy their moves; but apparently their created Jutsu could be copied if someone had the right skills. Their speed was beyond what anyone could see, even ones such as the Uchihas. For this person to be able to copy their Jutsu, they had had to show it to the ANBU, in an incredibly slow motion.

The person stood oddly straight and stiff, but performed the Jutsu and touched Itachi's forehead nonetheless. With that the ANBU was gone, probably to get what was needed. It didn't help anyone that the ANBU had a specialized mask. Nothing could be seen from beneath the full body suit complete with a head mask. The ANBU mask covered what little might be seen of the face, and all else, including body type, was hidden by the forever zipped shut cloak boasting sleeve slits for the persons arms.

With the exception of Tsunade, the retired Hokage, and Kakashi the current Hokage, the girls and the three Tennō were the only ones who knew who the person was. The soil, grass, trees and plants told Sakura. Anything the person touched of earth could tell her who the person was and what knowledge they possessed. And Sakura couldn't wait for the meeting, she was determined to be there. The winds, waters, and sunlight that the person had been near, had told the other women whatever information it had picked up.

The ANBU would be going with Naruto, Neji and Shikamaru to stay with the new arrivals. Not that it mattered; the group would be watched more than any other prisoner had, which was saying something. With carefully calculated looks, the four opened their minds, they knew what was going to happen and they awaited the assault on their consciences with ready attitudes.

Voices entered their minds, one panicked and angry for Ino, one admiring for TenTen, one hoping but doubtful for Hinata, and one irritated filled Sakura's. With the help of the Jutsu they had created, she and the girls could now hear the thoughts of the people they touched. If they were planning anything, anything at all to hurt the village, they would know. And Sakura reveled in the power; she hoped Karin would have mutinous thoughts so she could explain fully just how superior they were. Their intentions in coming here to Konoha would not stay hidden from them for long.

Turning to walk away, Sakura felt a tapping on her shoulder. Looking again to Kakashi, almost irritated at the interruption of finally making it home after a week away, Sakura lifted an eyebrow at him. He motioned with his head, his one visible eye crinkling with a smile at her impatience, towards the road and the large tree and trunk she had left there.

"I assume you were going to deal with that and not leave it in the road." At his tone Sakura nodded and gave him a sheepish smile, she might be an Empress and the best doctor the world had known, but she would always respect Kakashi.

At the pat on the shoulder Kakashi gave her, Sakura pulled large scroll from a sling on her back, with a bite of her finger Sakura called her blade of choice to herself. With the blade two feet long, sharp enough to cut a rope of steel, and a handle as long as her leg, Sakura looked like a very small child with her father's axe. Not that she cared; she could kill anyone who scoffed at her in half a second.

Running and jumping onto the tree, Sakura swung the blade deep into the severed base, and casually walked to the very tip of the tree. As she walked, with no seeming effort on her part, the blade ran through the tree splitting it evenly in two as Sakura imagined Karin being the tree. After that was accomplished Sakura swung her axe at intervals of every foot, and from there she chopped them into smaller more manageable pieces. Satisfied with her work, Sakura started the process again on the second half of the split tree.

After doing the same with the trunk, Sakura swung her axe into a waiting holder on her back and walked through the gates toward home. The voice in her head buzzed, giving her a headache with the angry tones. So much for a day of peace after that last mission! Passing Kakashi with a casual air and unimpressed attitude concerning the new arrivals, Sakura motioned with her head at the pile of wood.

"I took care of the chopping, find someone else to move it. Maybe _them_." Nodding her head in the direction of Sasuke and his group, Sakura turned and jumped away to run over rooftops home, the three other Kōgō no Shunkashuutou right behind her.

She would report to Kakashi about her mission tomorrow, she was too tired and dirty to do it all today, and to top it off, her party was going to have to be postponed. For now, she was just going to relax and spend her birthday with the one most precious to her. Sasuke and his group could go fall in a ditch for all she cared.

As the sun set, Sakura could be found resting in her bathtub, the fragrance of Sakura blossoms saturating the steamy room. She was glad to be home, and very excited to be back with her remaining family. A small smile of tenderness was sent to the bathroom door, a figure coming to Sakura's mind. That person was in her room, safe and healthy, sleeping away the night.

Although the familiar surroundings and comforting smell calmed her, the voices in her head distracted her from total relaxation. Three female voices reporting about certain things and one male voice invaded her thoughts, every moment of possible peace of mind was tossed out the window, but she knew what she was doing when she had performed the Jutsu. She was used to voices popping up in her head.

Thankfully there was one way to get around the insane and insufferable buzzing of unceasing thoughts not her own running wild in her head. To focus on one voice would effectively lessen the buzz, focusing on her thoughts alone, or on a scenery of land, took all thoughts from her mind. The voices would be there still, but would be considerably easy to shut out from her conscious. Being linked this way also enabled her to tap into their emotions, tell where the person was and how far they were; it made tracking a cinch whether the thoughts were shut away or not.

Slowly she shut her eyes, smiling as love blossomed with the mental image of the one in her room. Her family: _him_.

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Soooo, what did you think? Review? Please! =)


	4. Her Family: Him

I'm SO very sorry this is late! It was supposed to be up last night, for Halloween. But things were chaotic! Soooo, here it is, slightly late. I hope everyone had a happy halloween, and that you enjoy this chapter. Please forgive me and my tardiness! Now, enjoy it, and if you have obsene amounts of candy around, maybe you can snack on that while reading?

-Lady-of-Laughter

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Thankfully Sakura only had to deal with one mind, beside her own, in her head. Usually she only had her three best friends, and they were as easy to listen to or block out as breathing and they were all happy to keep their thoughts to themselves. It would have driven her crazy to have so many voices for so long in her mind if she had been forced to touch all of Team Hawk. The Jutsu was meant for one, maybe two for long periods of time, more than that for too long and the mind could shut down.

But with the four girls taking one person at a time, it made it remarkably easy. Sakura had been the only one volunteered, by the other girls of course, to take Sasuke. No one wanted to be in his head, least of all _her._ But they had insisted, and Sakura had been given no choice, Kakashi had backed up the choice, stating that she would know him best and would be better at reading him than the others.

At the moment Sasuke was listening to Karin rant, something about 'that pathetic pink haired freak.' It drifted through his mind but was dismissed in favor of a nice tomato just calling him from the table. So it seemed that Karin was in a fine and dandy mood tonight! Pathetic freak indeed! Sakura snorted out a string of threats, not that anyone, let alone Karin, could hear her.

Had Karin not seen what Sakura had done earlier to those two men? Thoroughly outraged, Sakura knew that if there wasn't a promise on her behalf to not kill them, Sakura would kill her. Almost comically a debate rose in Sasuke's mind. Abandon the team and have ten ANBU watching his every move, or sit and starve while the red fruit beckoned him. Sasuke must have gone clinically insane while he was away; this was an irrelevant and nonsensical debate.

Who debated over walking four steps to grab a tomato or to stay and stare at it like a starved wolf? The nut job had lost it and she was in his head! It was only a matter of time before she went stir crazy too. She only hoped that TenTen, Ino and Hinata could keep her sane, she would do her best by them also. Sakura knew Ino was going to be ready to kill Karin, she had only heard a tiny bit of the rant, but Ino heard it all. And Ino was very protective of her best friends. Now there was a fun thought! Let Ino torture Karin, yes that sounded promising indeed!

Sasuke's thoughts drifted to Juugo as the man sat talking to a bird. He understood the man's impulses, which was helping Sakura at the moment. She was getting valuable information from Sasuke's mind about the man and his situation. That he voluntarily locked himself away from the world to stop himself from hurting others was admirable and Sakura was ready to help him.

Besides, Sakura liked Juugo. People may have said that he was something of a simpleton, but that didn't bothers her if it was true. And something told Sakura it wasn't, he was simply enjoying the little things, like birds. Sasuke couldn't tell, but she had seen intelligence in his eyes, she would talk to Hinata about him later. She was sure she could help him, something she was determined to do. Other than that, he seemed like a nice, quiet and helpful guy, not counting the rages.

Then Sasuke's thoughts turned to Suigetsu. The guy was jabbering on like a magpie, and Sakura couldn't help but smile, the guy was talking about her. That he thought she was beautiful and a good ninja made her want to laugh, Sasuke's thoughts were in chaos. He didn't like it one bit, he didn't want Sakura to be strong or some powerful ancient something-or-other! He didn't want her to be so independent, and he most certainty did not want her to look the way she did, of all things she could have grown to be, she had to grow to be and look like _that_.

If Sakura hadn't found his rebellious and raging thoughts _so_ very comical as he fell into a darker and darker mood, she would have been offended at his turbulent thoughts. But as it was, the faces of the team he was with, as well as his reaction to Suigetsu's words, had her laughing. They were truly frightened of him, all but his brother of course. Itachi simply raised an eyebrow and smirked at his little brother. A smirk lifted her lips, one that could rival both Uchiha brothers for pride, and thought of his last thoughts, which he was studiously ignoring and trying to forget.

Shutting her mind off from listening to Sasuke's thoughts, Sakura smiled. Yeah, she wasn't twelve anymore, and her body could prove it. If that wasn't enough, Suigetsu was pointing it out every half second. Sighing in contentment Sakura got out and toweled dry before changing into her pajamas. Walking out to her room Sakura smiled and moved to stand at the bed in the corner of her room. Her bed was on the other side of the room, but this one held Sakura's most precious person.

Taimu slept in his bed, his four year old little body a reminder of their mother. His medium brown hair was silken to her touch as Sakura smoothed his hair from his forehead. His eyes, now closed in sleep, were light green with brown flecks. Gently lifting him in her arms Sakura placed a kiss on his temple as her eyes looked at the bed. The brown sheets and red blanket were rumpled, but what caught her eye was the braided ribbon on the edge of his white pillow; it always did.

Through a hole in the pillow case was the braided ribbon, making a bow. The colors of the strands of braid were two pink and one red. Biting her lip Sakura shut her eyes and inhaled Taimu's scent. He stirred but fell back to sleep with little prompting. The bow represented the three people. The red stood for their father and the two pink strands for their mother and the baby that had been lost.

No one had known that Sakura's mother carried twins, but when the doctors had tried to save the baby and failed, they had unwittingly found a second one, miraculously untouched and healthy. The female child had been in a position that shielded Taimu from most injury, and as the medics pulled the babies from the womb of the dying mother, one was found to be a squalling baby boy with only five cuts and gashes, sadly the female lay still and cold.

Setting Taimu down on his bed and covering him with the blankets, Sakura got comfortable in her own bed before letting the blissful oblivion of sleep to take her away. Once asleep her mind automatically shut away the connection that linked her mind and Sasuke's together. Instead it conjured up memories of her childhood, the deaths of her parents, and the lost little child that she would never get to meet. Her little sister never got a chance to live, and she never got to hold the beautiful baby girl that was Taimu's twin, Airi.

Airi meant Beloved Jasmine, Sakura's parents had never been able to name the twins, but Sakura knew that there were two flowers her mother had loved, cherry blossoms and jasmine. In memory of her mother's favored flowers, Sakura had named the baby girl and had it written on the headstone of the tiny grave which sat beside the two larger headstones of their parents.

After two days of staying hidden, Sakura had been informed of the life they had saved. After a month in the hospital Taimu had been released to her care. He had three long cuts, two on his left leg and one on his left arm. And two gashes, one on his forehead and another on his chest. Sakura had given Taimu his name as a remembrance of their father. He had always wanted a son; it had been his biggest and most talked of dream. And so in memory of her father, Sakura had named her brother Taimu: Big Dream.

Sorrow filled her at the loss of family, and in the haze of pain her mind sought something else, _anything_ else to distract her from the truth of reality. Unfortunately for Sakura her mind chose the one other being that she did not want to think about. Even in his sleep she could get inside his head, but he wouldn't be able to get inside hers, unless she wanted him to. In a time of danger Sakura could call Sasuke's mind to her, to speak to him and make him hear her thoughts, but only she could initiate the link to let him into her mind. And she had _no_ intention of letting him into her mind anytime soon. Because really, who would even want such a thing? Not her.

So with one subject of pain avoided, another took its place. Memories of childhood, of training, fighting with and against Sasuke welled up like a wave. Something was different about him, although she could not put a finger on it. Thoughts and pictures filtered into her head, emotions she had long since put to rest, knocked at the firmly shut doors of her mind. But a subtle shift changed her thoughts; instead some power, beyond what she knew, touched her submitting force.

A swell of familiarity and longing, like a feather over her senses, awakened in her mind. Love like a vice around her heart disturbed her mind. She neither understood, nor recognized the pull of her senses. The touch of power quailed away as she shifted uneasily in sleep. Of its own accord the Kōgō inside reached out, wanting to again touch the familiar force. Yet it was not there, vanished into the night like a shadow in sudden light.

With its loss Sakura's fumbled mind changed back to her family, and the horror of loss tore from her lips the cries she had stuffed deep for so long. They did not last long, for the cries of Taimu awakened her. Her sob had woken him, and in the darkness the weeping had frightened him.

Sitting up Sakura shook her head to remove the memories while wiping the tracks of fallen tears from her face. Breathing deeply, concentrating only on her breaths, she moved her knees toss her legs over the side of the bed. She stood, feeling slightly wobbly as she moved. And not just the physical feeling, like her stomach was in knots and her legs were jelly. Something felt different, not wrong per say, but off.

Her eyes flashed to the window, the familiar feeling of eyes watching her making her jumpy. She saw nothing, even going so far as to step to the window and look out with the critical eye of a ninja showed her nothing. She scowled into the darkness, wishing something would pop up to set her at easy. Or better yet have someone show themselves, if not someone she could dismiss, then someone she could hurt. But after a moment, when nothing moved or made a sound she uneasily admitted that it was probably a ninja running a patrol past her window.

Behind her the small cries of her brother had turned into loud shrieks. He was obviously unaware of whatever made his sister upset, and he showed it by screaming like a branding iron had been settled onto his skin. With a shake of her head Sakura expelled a long breath, forcing herself to turn from the window and attend to her family.

Moving quietly to his small bed Sakura lifted Taimu into her arms, murmuring softly to him that he was safe. Gently swaying with his shuddering body in her protective embrace she buried her face in his neck, inhaling the smell of Taimu. Recalling a lullaby from her childhood, Sakura took up the tune in a soft humming near Taimu's ear. Enjoying the warmth of his body and the calmingly steady beat of his heart Sakura chocked back the tears of loss and focused on the comfort of life.

After only a few minutes he was sleeping and Sakura cuddled him to her body as she moved back to her bed. Sometimes it was hard to grasp the reality of it all. But holding Taimu this way, holding him close and being reminded with every breath, every movement and every heartbeat convinced her that _he_ was indeed _real_.

And even though she had become a mother to her brother, gaining all the stress, worry and situations that came with raising a child, it was all worth it. She would do it again, given the chance, to step from older sister to the position of mother, benefactor and guardian. Because in this world, where she had lost so much, he was _real_ and he was _hers_.

Taimu slept safely next to her, with him in the cradle of her arms, Sakura drifted into a peaceful sleep of true rest. Her mind cleared of all distress in the wake of Taimu's calming presence and complete trust.

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There it is...review? let me know what you think? And I know that the whole 'her family was killed and now she's upset and understands Sasuke's bitterness' has been done. (by me as well as others) BUT: don't think this is anything like my last story, or any others...this one is going to be different, and I'll tell you now, I don't think you'll see it coming when the whole thing is revealed. I'm totally excited! I hope will be too!

-Lady-of-Laughter


	5. Invading Darkness

Here it is! On time and everything! =)

Enjoy this next part, I know it's short, and I'm sorry, BUT its an important part...And for anyone who's wondering, Sasuke did get his tomato, after Sakura was taken back to her apartment to change.

-Lady-of-Laughter

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Silence: sweet and loving, filled the night as shadows of stillness shrouded the land. Darkness: secretive, obscure and dangerous as it shadowed the night in a sullen and suppressed bliss. In response, peace and knowing, calm and confidence, the very essence of power welled up. Control and strength, hidden and stealthy, mysterious and unknown, the hint of unease stirred. Carefully it came, creeping slowly, taking over before anyone could hardly notice its advance, deadly to those unwary.

Fear rose as people rushed to houses of light, the glow of safety reassuring them once they reached the realm of golden gleam. Animals ambled about or fled to their homes just as the people did. Caution came from those who knew what the night meant and how to respectfully treat the shadowed darkness. And yet an air of protection hung in the air, as the night swept daily worries from mind as people rested in the security of sleep.

Ninja jumped from roof to roof, a part of the shadows, doing their work of protecting the peace of those sleeping. They were aware of the night's dangers, unlike those sleeping or partying in complete ignorance of the creatures prowling the dark domain of fright. For that's what it was, where the monstrosities of horror, cruelty and foreboding and abhorrence thrived.

More importantly, every living thing felt weariness and fright at him; after all, it was _his _domain. Creatures of the night, things with the sense to be wary in the darkness, feared and revered him. _He _was darkness, master of shadows, mind of the shrouds, heart of the power, touch of the mystery and the sight in the lack of light. One moving without wariness in his night had a good chance of meeting with a frightful end; the sullen and obscure joy of his silent night was spent reveling in the smell of fear and caution, tempered by the savagely protective embrace of those in its care.

He had remained closed off, hidden within and shut away by the human. Nothing yet had made him come forward; nothing had made him bother to take control. The man did not need what he could offer, not yet. Instead the force was held at bay, easily kept in submission; he had no need to use it. Until now. _Now _the power surged, calling and straining, anxious to be with the one it desired.

Slipping unseen and silent into the beloved darkness, it didn't matter if there were ten or ten hundred searching for him with trained eyes. Or if they were the ones walking the dark roads with wariness, as they moved towards lightened houses, completely aware of the danger surrounding them. It made no different who was or was not watching, when he wished to be hidden, none could see him. None but _them_.

Shadows became his clothes, darkness his cloak, silence his movements, his body invisible to any prying eyes. Moving through the night, carefully over rooftops and trees he went. Nothing but the sounds of night could be heard as he moved and landed on a tree limb, not even the leaves rustled with his landing. Despite the sounds that echoed in the stillness of night, he heard it all in the back of his mind, registering only what he focused on.

Eyes were covered in a haze of black, as dark as the night around him. On the branch he looked in, black eyes searching for her. Power welled, threatening to overwhelm as it reacted to the power of another. Within the frame of the window the woman sleeping shifted, the disturbance of an awakening creature touching her own latent one disturbed her sleep.

Withdrawing from her awareness, fearing that revealing himself too soon would upset the woman, the creature allowed itself to be shielded from the force now reaching to him. Watching carefully, the one of night watched the shifting of the woman, her face of serenity twisting to a devastated expression of intense despair.

"_NO! Mom! Where are you? Mom! Are you here? Mom?" _Horrorwashed into him, the familiarity of agony and searing loss tasted bitter in his mouth as an echo of words sounded in his mind.

An impression of choking smoke and a home in rubble entered his mind with a deep and tortuous sense of emptiness. Devastation and corpses were nothing new to him, neither was smoking rubble. It was the emotions connected that were unusual, often it was the adrenaline in a fight, not the crushing of a heart as something or someone they loved were the occupants of the rubble mass. The sound of a sob made him focus. The woman framed by the window again shifted, but this time a whimpering of sound became a louder sudden wail. Although not out loud, the sound reached octaves that shouldn't ever be found; the sound of a grieving heart.

Then the wail silenced as another squeaking took up its place. This cry was different and odd, causing alarm to rise in him. The mewling screech did not come from the woman, but from the opposite side of the room, a corner he could not see from the window. Moving in all quietness to another tree the figure strained to see inside the corner from the new angle. Nothing met his searching eyes, only a soft filtering of moonlight onto a sand brown carpet, but the insistent cries persisted.

The pink haired figure didn't rush to whatever screamed incessantly, but rather moved to the window. Staring out, face covered by shadows cast by the moon, she looked out. He could feel her gaze, sweeping ever so carefully over the landscape outside, searching. He knew very well she searched for him, but he was also well aware that she would not see him. He kept his power down, lowered the chakra levels until it would be nearly impossible to find, and kept still. Her eyes looked right at him, eyes blazing gold, and he knew the Kōgō saw him, yet the woman remained unaware.

After a few long moments she let out a breath and turned to walk to a corner of the room he couldn't see. Soft humming resonated in a lullaby, reaching him where he crouched. When the woman moved back to her bed, prompting him to move back to the previous tree branch, he watched as the woman settled into bed with a bundle held securely in her arms. Ever so carefully she lay back, and within minutes was sleeping.

Having to restrain himself from entering the room and gathering the woman to himself, the figure moved silently back to where he had come from. Slipping into the window the shadow silently slithered into bed. Without anyone the wiser for his night adventure the power allowed the man's sleeping state to take most control. Resting in the reassurance that, even if he couldn't hold her, his woman was close by and safe he followed the path leading to rest.

With determination the creature retained a firm grip on the man; he would not allow himself to be shut away again. From now on, if anyone was going to be shut away in the night or daylight hours, it would be the man. Him; who was broken by betrayal and hate, had been the cause of brokenness, sadness and loneliness. No matter how much he denied it.

Sudden resolve filled the man and the connected creature, unconscious as it was. He would heal from the betrayal and hate in the protective care of the power. And the creature within would finally live and taste the sun. He would taste emotions again, as he had tonight, after being gone for so long locked away inside the cruel papers, he was free and the woman that belonged to him was near. From now on, he refused to be pushed aside, now he would demand his time of freedom and the man would allow it.

Of course the man would remain himself, but the power would no longer remain dormant or do the man's bidding only when called. He would heal the man and in return would have his time. No one need know, he had been with the man long enough to know his every action and reaction. But if he so wished it, the power would take control, provided the man gave him reason to do so. Grievously enough, the man had given no such reason, yet. But the power would not be deterred; he would eventually take control when the man messed up. Which was inevitable.

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I hope you liked it! Review? M'kay, see you guys later!


	6. Anger & Awkwardness

OK everyone! Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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'_Like it's not miserable enough here, they can't shut up. Today's to-do list: Kill Karin if she doesn't shut up; kill Suigetsu with a week in the desert if he says something one more time. Kill Itachi with his own sword if he smirks like that once more.' A snort resonated, 'I should have stayed away while I had the chance. I __**will**__ take Naruto's stomach out if he says another thing about ramen! Neji and Shikamaru are silent enough, they're acceptable at present." His mood darkened "I must be going insane; I could have sworn someone lied about Sakura being some Season thing? Hn. I'm going to kill them all! Might as well kill myself while I'm at it and be free. That's it, I'm done. The first to die is Sakura for being more than she ever should have been.'_

Well, somebody was in a jolly mood this morning! 'More than she ever should have been' **Indeed!** In the midst of coming awake from her deep sleep Sakura was only half conscious of the murderous thoughts Sasuke was currently thinking. His morning hit list kept getting longer with each moment. The vague memories of another nightmare made her frown, but a tiny body stirring next to her made Sakura sit up and smile. Gently lifting Taimu, Sakura hugged him close before getting up and placing him back in his bed.

Sakura jolted in surprise with a bleary blink and sudden weariness at the slamming of her door. Within minutes Ino stood in the doorway, seething in a raging mood, not that that was unusual in any way. A corner of her mind made a sarcastic remark about Sasuke's grocery list of murders; he was so casual about it and she was just _so _flattered that she was number one on his list. Of course, that was assuming he lived long enough to kill anyone. From the way Ino looked, he would be killed just for looking in her general direction.

Walking into the room with an angry stride, Ino sat down on the bed and patted an area next to her, indicating that Sakura should sit. Folding her arms with jerking movements Ino fairly growled. Her eyes blazed, a fire burning on water, and let out a snort of disgust. Her foot tapped a fast paced, impatient rhythm on the carpet as she glared at Sakura. With an owlish blink at Ino, Sakura rubbed her eyes, wishing she could return to the peace of sleep.

"Sakura, please,let me kill her! Please let me rip her limb from limb then slowly burn everything beyond ashes! I'll disintegrate her after beating her, maybe even make her shove her face in lava! Please let me Sakura, allow me that pleasure, and permit me to murder her, please!" Ino was in a fine fury, ready to murder some poor bystander.

"What? Who are we going to incinerate now?" Sakura wasn't going to lie, she had no idea what the blond bombshell was going on about.

"Karin! If she doesn't stop thinking about Sasuke like that and undressing him with her eyes, or continuously insulting you, I'm going to kill her! It's bad enough that I have to shut her out every time she looks at him, but I'll never get any information if she keeps this up! And I swear if she calls you or us pathetic freaks, or seethes about you ruining her fake pregnancy just once more, I'll burn her face off!" Ino had stood and started pacing, wringing her hands as sparks of fire ignited over her fingertips in an effort to stop from killing Karin.

"I mean, it's not like I'm not used to being in other people's minds! I'm in the three of yours and the three guys at one time. For the love of all things good, being in people's minds is my bloodlimit! It's what I do for a living as an interrogator! I've been in some of the most vile missing-nin minds known, but this is ridiculous! I mean really!" Ino kept going, pointing out a fact that inspired a realization; Karin was some messed up creature to have this effect on Ino.

At that moment her face twisted with pure horror, she clamped her hands over her eyes and gave a massive shudder while squeaking out a distressed, "Oh heavens, she's _fantasizing!_" and quickly shut the other woman's thoughts out of her mind, only then did she relax a fraction.

Before Sakura could as much as blink in response to Ino, TenTen blasted through the door like a storming wind. Behind her Hinata did her best to calm the distraught woman before she sent the village a lovely tornado gift. Hinata only looked stressed, but TenTen looked frazzled and held her head between her hands with eyes shut. This wasn't good; TenTen was usually the epitome of calm. What was going on? A glance to the corner told her Taimu slept on with the typical resilience of the very young.

"Please Sakura; let me rip his mind out! I need to make it stop or I'll break his head off and use it as a decoration in the next festival! I can't take him trying to see you without clothes, I have to shut him out and I'll never find anything if he continues! He does it every time you're brought up, _which is all the time_! If it's not him saying something about you to irritate Sasuke, its Karin ranting about you and off he goes!" TenTen was squeezing her head as one eye twitched.

Well, she was awake now! Giving Hinata a quizzical look Sakura watched as the Hyuuga merely shrugged. It seemed that Hinata was just as lost in all this as Sakura was. Not at all sure she was truly awake Sakura looked at each girl, one furious, one horrified and one confused. Again letting her eyes rest on Hinata, Sakura asked what she had to say.

"I h-have no idea w-what is wrong wh-with them." Hinata had reverted back to her shy self, apparently having someone new speaking in her head was messing with her emotions.

"It's not that, I'm waiting for you to explode too." Sakura smiled apologetically, it was weird to have Hinata calm while the other two went crazy on her, Hinata was usually very fidgety when others were upset.

"Oh I'm fine, Juugo thinks you're an angel and focuses on the animals, he seems to enjoy them very much. He doesn't care what the others do or say, he's interested in other things." Hinata gave TenTen and Ino an apologetic look, she couldn't imagine what it must be like to be them, but her stutter was gone again, proving that her moment of insecurity had passed.

"Well, what about you?" As Ino's eye twitched her hands settled on her slim hips, Sakura smiled at her friends who were shutting things out.

"Uhm, as far as I can tell, Sasuke is right in line with you two. He wants to kill Suigetsu for not shutting up about me, he wishes Karin would leave him in peace. Plus Itachi's been smirking at him and that's making him angry too. He also has the urge to rip out Naruto's stomach so he'll stop talking about ramen. The second to last thought I got before Ino came barging in was something along the lines of 'I'll kill them all then I'll kill myself to be free of it.' His last thought was about killing me for being 'more than I ever should have been,' not to mention he thinks he's going crazy." Sakura smiled impertinently at them, it was fun to be the cause of so much discomfort to Sasuke.

The other girls only blinked before reacting. Ino pursed her lips in thought while she paced, Hinata sat beside Sakura and patted her shoulder with a smile and TenTen bit her lip while spinning a Senbon over her fingers with wind accelerated velocity. Sakura just sat and waited for them to finish their thoughts then slowly leave her to get ready for the day. This was how it always was, they came to calm down and think.

Finally Ino stopped her pacing and turned to Sakura, with a smile lighting her face she began laughing incessantly. Then TenTen's Senbon spinning stopped, her eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped. Beside her Hinata stiffened and let out a small giggle. Looking around at her friends Sakura let out a sigh, they were listening again.

'_That's it! Everyone is going to die, right now!_'

Sakura sat up straight, she would not normally react, but she heard his mind monitoring the rise in his chakra. His temper was one she knew he could control well, but she wasn't sure his control would last with so many people upsetting him, even if he looked forever undisturbed.

A second later the other three girls stiffened, obviously the people in the house knew something was wrong and were thinking about it. A subtle change in Sasuke occurred and Sakura began to worry, some reserve of power had welled up. She'd never felt anything like it before, it was foreboding. His chakra signature was discernable at her house, which meant he wasn't trying to hold it in some control. Alarmingly, it kept rising, as if his reserve of chakra would go on indefinitely.

As Sakura stood from the bed, glancing at Taimu, a knock on the door sent waves of relief through her. Aika was here, which meant that Sakura would be free to leave without worrying about Taimu. Aika walked in, calling that she had arrived and that she would be watching Taimu. She was a wonderful woman and a great nanny, so with a shout that she was leaving and that Taimu was sleeping still, Sakura felt no remorse in disappearing. Since she often left through her window, as it was faster to get to the hospital, Aika wouldn't think anything of it when she didn't walk out past her and to the door.

"Girls, it's time to go!" Without hesitation the four lifted their right arms, swept them throw the air across their bodies, and were gone.

As the four reappeared, in the swirls of their own nature outside the Uchiha front doors, they stormed in to stand with hands on hips glaring at Naruto. Sakura wanted to scold Sasuke and tell him to breath, but that would give away that she knew his thoughts, thus Naruto was the victim. Each glared, only Hinata giving a less than fiery look at him, in turn Naruto shrank back with hands lifted and face anxious.

"Naruto, what is going on here? I couldn't even hear myself think while approaching! Everyone needs to shut up! _NOW!_" As usual it was Sakura who was demanding compliance and an answer from Naruto. The din of chatter ceased, leaving the room free of Suigetsu's spoken thoughts and Karin's grumblings.

"Hehe, nothing Sakura, nothing. We were just, erm, we were just talking about ramen!" As usual, also in his line of duty, Naruto did his best not to anger Sakura further.

"Well, stop would you? We all know how much you love ramen! There's no reason to go on and on until our ears bleed! Hinata, I honestly have no idea how you can let him jabber on. If I were you, I'd shut him up every five seconds with an elbow to his gut." At Sakura's words and comments Naruto pressed himself against the wall while Hinata giggled.

Rolling her eyes Sakura turned to the group. Karin was scowling at her with arms crossed, Suigetsu sat with a sharp toothed smile on his face as he looked between Sakura and Naruto, Juugo merely looked surprised by their arrival, Itachi was looking studiously at nothing as he smirked knowingly in Sasuke's general direction. And Sasuke simply stared at the floor with a closed off expression. Typical. Neji and Shikamaru leaned against a wall on either side of a window, bored.

Out of nowhere Suigetsu was standing next to Sakura, his eyes undressing her as his hands reached to take hold of her hips. Sakura stiffened, eyes moving slowly to Suigetsu's unusual and dangerous looking smile. Narrowing her eyes, and listening with satisfaction to Sasuke's shifted thoughts, Sakura lifted Suigetsu's hands from her body with thumb and index finger as if it where garbage.

'_Suigetsu is dead, contract signed and sealed. I told him to stop thinking about her, to never look at her, and not to ever even consider touching anything that is mine. It was clear the moment we arrived, when she was seen standing there that she is mine. He knows the penalties, and he crossed the line, he has no one to blame but himself.' _Before the thoughts registered in his mind and transferred to her, a snarl vibrated her mind with the intensity of his deeper than usual growl, someone wasn't happy.

"Next time you touch me with those hands, I'll break them off. Matter-of-fact, if anythingof you touches me, I'll break it off. And I don't care what touches me or how, even if you accidently bump into me, something is going to be broken off and fed to the animals. Keep that in mind, I'll not tell you again." Being only within arm's length and hardly able to maneuver in the confined space, she shoved Suigetsu away.

He flew back into the wall, instead of through it and into the surrounding miles of trees. Upon contact he exploded, sending droplets of water out over the room. Karin screamed like a banshee, Hinata shuddered under the safety of Naruto's arm as he shouted in surprise, and Itachi frowned. But it was Ino and TenTen who had the right thoughts; they jumped quickly to the side, landing near Neji and Shikamaru, and clear of the water. Sakura scowled, Sasuke sat like a statue as always and Juugo sat silently, watching with wide as.

Suigetsu stood, rubbing his head after it had twisted back into place, smiling cheekily at her. A growl in her head told her Sasuke didn't like Suigetsu's smile. Sakura wanted to smile at his odd behavior. Besides, who ever said she was his? She didn't recall ever saying anything and she most certainly was not going to confirm such a thing any time soon. Something bothered her about him, the subtle change she had felt was still there, and it was changing Sasuke, his voice in her head, the way he reacted to things. Since when had he been possessive anyways?

His next disgruntled thought was all she registered for a while, because after his thought Suigetsu said something that had Sakura blushing in stunned horror, '_I know where this is going, Suigetsu is going to die if he points it out._'

"Ah c'mon Sakura! How do you expect me to not touch you when you come looking like that. You had to have known that you would be irresistible if you came in your pajamas! I don't see how any of these guys can stand not looking at you, let alone touching you. Have you seen yourself?" Suigetsu reached for her again, but as her shocked face turned to cold anger he backed away slowly.

'_Now he's done it. He just had to say it and point that out. Moron.' _Sasuke's thoughts were not helpful; she had enough going on with her own mind.

Looking down at herself Sakura grit her teeth and cursed everyone in the house that had upset Sasuke this morning. Because they had come in haste to calm everything down, so no one would have to be taken to the morgue, Sakura hadn't noticed that while the girls had charged in fully dressed for the day, Sakura had been in her night clothes.

Simple cotton, dyed red fell to mid thigh; pink cherry blossoms were embroidered on the hem. An elastic stretch of material just under the bust hugged the dress to her body's natural curves. The top was a spaghetti strapped v-neckline, which covered her nicely but showed enough to make this awkward. The v-neckline dipped low, down the middle of her chest to end at the stretch of material under her bust. It was nice and cool on hot nights but also warm enough with blankets on colder nights.

Suddenly Sakura wished she had worn the big winter nightgown to bed instead of this.

With one hand trying to cover her chest better and the other trying to pull the dresses hem down to cover more, Sakura felt her face flush seven new shades of red. Why hadn't the girls said something? A glance at them showed all three blushing with hands covering their mouths as they stared wide eyed. Thoughts of stricken apologies and horror at lack of previous notice whispered in her mind as the three girls frantically searched for something to cover her with.

Stepping to the side, and behind the closest person other than Suigetsu, Sakura found herself behind Sasuke who had somehow moved from his seat without her ever noticing. Probably to kill Suigetsu. He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes conveying his unimpressed notions of her plan to hide.

A snicker came from Suigetsu; Naruto gave one loud laugh before Ino smacked him into a face plant. Karin scowled and Juugo averted his eyes politely. To her side Neji and Shikamaru looked to the ceiling, wondering what they had done to deserve this punishment. Itachi merely smirked yet again at his younger brother; he couldn't see, so why look away or hide?

Only one thought buzzed through Sakura's mind at the moment, 'Can this get _any_ more awkward?'

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Hope you enjoyed it! Review?


	7. Thoughts Break Brains

Here we goooo! The next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! And it is ON TIME, I'm so excited about that! So please, enjoy and tell me what you think!

-Lady of Laughter

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"Girls? Why didn't you say something! This is embarrassing. Stop looking at me! Someone grab a blanket for me or something!" As Sakura screeched she was thankful that no one was behind Sasuke, because then she would have to kill whoever saw her.

The only consoling reaction was Karin. Her jaw went slack, eyes burned with rage and her face pinched in dislike. She went rigid, as she was strapped to a rickety pole over a lava bed. From the way Sasuke stood before her, she knew the symbolism as well as Karin. He was protecting her, offering his protection clear as day. This wasn't good.

'Everyone shouldn't be looking at her that way, she's mine. Although she's not supposed to look like that, I don't really mind. As long as it's only me looking at her, now everyone has to die. They saw her like this and now it's over. But her shrieking is making my ears bleed, first I need to get her covered.' Sasuke's thoughts drifted through her brain as Sakura hunched and tried to make herself smaller behind the broad back sheltering her from the room's occupants.

After that thought, Sakura nearly ran away. Screaming and crying. He didn't just use that gesture for whatever convoluted reason he had, he actually meant it. He was symbolically and mentally claiming her. Like a piece of meat! Like she was going to let that happen! She would tear him limb from limb before she'd allow him to intimidate her!

Sakura heard a grunt from Sasuke before he was facing her, with a high pitched squeak Sakura took a step back. Angrily she chastised herself for that show of weakness and sarcastically mocked herself for her previous bravado. Sasuke hardly blinked as he moved, pulling his robe from his body in a blur and slung it around Sakura's shoulders. Without a sound or shift of his facial features Sasuke pulled it around her and tied it with the belt, successfully covering Sakura. The dark blue robe hung on her, able to wrap around her twice and falling to drag a foot on the ground, but she was covered.

Karin looked as if she were watching the birth of an animal instead of getting the chance to kill one slowly. Or like she was watching the man she desired taking off his coat, and not just taking off his coat, but taking it off to wrap around another woman. Sakura wasn't unaware of the meaning implied in this gesture, even if he ignored and chose not to think about it, giving her his clothes equaled claiming her and with him shielding her with his body, he signified placing her under his direct protection.

If Sakura hadn't been so embarrassed at her own state of inappropriate dress, she might very well have snickered at Karin's face. She looked like she was going to be sick. Although the symbolism in Sasuke's even caring to move toward her, let alone block her from view or give her his robe was near enough to scare her into hiding.

'Better. That should let everyone know who she belongs to. What else? Ah yes, kill Suigetsu, he touched something that is mine.' At Sasuke's smug thoughts Sakura scowled, she didn't belong to anyone, least of all him!

Nonetheless Sakura opened her mouth to thank him for the covering, she had manners. But before she could voice anything, Sakura caught sight of him, and her face turned blue as she ceased to breath. Sasuke had loose black pants resting at his hips, and nothing else. Not even socks. Her eyes widened as they glided over his body and she thought, 'Curse him and his intense training!'

As if it wasn't enough that she had to see his arms all the time, well-muscled and straining just enough against his shirt to beg her to notice, he had a body like that. If she believed in myths, Sakura would have pronounced him a god with certainty. Honestly, she was a doctor and she wasn't even sure the human body had that many muscles. What was he? The mythical Adonis of the western societies, come back from the dead?

Sakura froze at the urge to move and stand before him, to run her hands over the perfect body boasting muscles that made her weak. An eight pack taunted her, his broad shoulders looked big enough to carry her, other than his broad shoulders his body was lean. He even had side muscles, side muscles! Who had side muscles? And then there was his back, which he was now turning to her with a cold look aimed at Suigetsu. His back, although scarred like his chest, was well muscled and firm. He looked like he could support the world.

When Sakura snapped out of her stupor, she instinctively reached for Sasuke to stop him from killing Suigetsu. In response Sasuke, probably not used to having anyone touch him other than in battle, spun and slammed Sakura into the wall which was only a foot behind her. With eyes wide Sakura held her breath as pain exploded over her back and shoulders; maybe it wasn't a good idea. Perhaps she should have simply yelled at him to stop.

"Uhm, th-thank you, f-for the robe?" With everything she could have said, all giving her away about knowing his thoughts, Sakura went with the only safe thing left in her arsenal; plus she was in something of a haze from the pain.

Sasuke grunted, but took a step closer to her, resting his hands on either side of her shoulders on the wall. With only inches between them Sakura pressed further against the wall and shut her eyes with a gulp. Touching had been a bad idea; a good idea would have been to shout at him or maybe even kicking him. Yeah, should've kicked him.

'That's right, mine. No one touches her, but me. Now that I'm home, she's going to live and will be my wife. She's always been mine, and that's never going to change, no matter what happens.' At his confident and dominating thoughts, Sakura's eyes flew open and she again affirmed her earlier thought.

She should've kicked him.

Just as Sakura thought that nothing would surprise her today, an ANBU figure ran from the hall and jumped. With Sasuke paying attention to her, he wasn't fast enough to move as the figure came at him. The person flew forward, planting both feet on Sasuke's exposed side and with the momentum, the ANBU shoved Sasuke aside while using the impact force to flip backwards. Landing easily the ANBU stood guardedly in front of Sakura with head lifted high, staring from behind the mask at Sasuke.

Sasuke hadn't fallen, but merely stumbled before regaining his footing. He cast the ANBU a harsh and withering glare, but the person remained unfazed. In return Sakura simply touched the figures shoulder in thanks, the ANBU did not talk although Sakura knew it was personal want instead of lack of ability. Nodding in understanding, hand seals were performing and Sakura found her arm grabbing and transported back in her apartment moments later.

"Thank you! I'll only be a minute." That said Sakura fled into her bathroom after grabbing some clothes, but not after stumbling over the robe a few times in the process.

Silence met her words as Sakura quickly changed, in record time she walked out to stand beside the ANBU. Sakura glanced at her bed before the ANBU performed the hand seals to transport them back to the Uchiha complex. Taimu still slept, his head turned and firmly planted on the bed with his small rump up in the air.

A sad smile lifted Sakura's lips, her heart swelled with the pain of not seeing her parents again and never knowing the sister she was supposed to have had. It hurt even more knowing that Taimu would never know them at all. All she could ever do for him would be to tell him stories of his parents; sadly she would never be able to tell him much of his twin.

Nodding to the ANBU Sakura allowed herself to be taken from her room, from her brother, and from the incessant ache in her heart. As they appeared back in the room at the Uchiha Complex house, Sakura clenched her jaw and held herself stiff. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath through flared nostrils and let it out through carefully rounded lips. The familiar sight of Taimu in his favorite sleeping position had tugged at the remainder of her waning resolve. She couldn't trust the Uchiha brothers and their gang, nothing could harm Konoha; it was the home of her family, her home and Taimu's future.

She didn't plan on changing that, which meant she had to be able to care for him and keep the village safe. It was unavoidable, and not something she wanted to avoid. She would fight to the death to preserve the village and people she loved, and although there were many places she could run to for refuge if she needed too, Sakura had no intention of needing to take refuge. She would take the head of any person who threaten the village or her brother, it was that simple.

Forcing her body to relax, Sakura opened her eyes and surveyed the room; everyone was in the same places they had been as before. The ANBU moved back, melting into the scant shadows of the room and stood as a faint silhouette. Sakura liked this person very much. Walking to a spot near Neji and Shikamaru Sakura sat with her back to the wall, liking the support it provided.

A glance at Ino showed the tall blonde standing stiff with an eye twitching; her hands were fisted at her side. TenTen stood with a red face, her eyes blazing with horrified embarrassment, Sakura could only guess at what the two must be hearing from Karin and Suigetsu. Hinata seemed to be in a fine mood, although Juugo was doing nothing more than petting a stray cat.

With furrowed brows Sakura wondered how the cat had gotten in, but a look at Naruto made that thought flit away, instead she found herself imagining him chasing the cat. Had it been only last year? He had chased the cat with resilience, but it had evaded him all day. His devastated face and complaining later, after he had given up, had left the group laughing for a good amount of their dinner time.

Neji and Shikamaru sat chatting by the window, not a word came from their mouths but Sakura could hear their chattering on the outskirts of her consciousness. Naruto was focusing on his own thoughts, mostly surrounding what was going to be for lunch and the ramen he was going to suggest they get. It was so typically Naruto that Sakura could only let a phantom smile lift her lips.

A strangled noise came from Ino as she glared at Karin. Karin was scowling, but her eyes were hidden by a glare on her glasses. Looking back at Ino, Sakura found her staring back with a question in her eyes. Both simultaneously looked to TenTen, their oldest member, something of a nominated leader, for instruction.

'Let me kill her, and I swear I'll never ask for anything again! Please!' Ino's agitated voice rang clear and angry.

'I've got no problem with that, by all means, let her. I volunteer to hold the others back!' Sakura held back from smiling, instead she compressed her lips to a thin line.

'No. We are to watch and report, and if the need arises, protect the village if they step out of line. No killing any of them without permission or real plausible cause of danger to someone. We leave them be, even if you want to rip out their brains, resist the temptation. I am, just barely. Leave if you must." TenTen was always the level headed one, and the chosen leader, as much as a single Kōgō could be a leader of the collective four.

Ino stomped a foot in childish petulance before she stormed from the room, only the slamming of the door gave testament to her departure. That and the shriek from Karin as a lock of her jagged hair burst into flames, filling the room with the smell of singed hair as Karin frantically put out the fire.

Not that it did anything to help the already ragged and ugly pieces of hair. As the rooms occupants stared at Karin; Sakura, TenTen and Hinata exchanged knowing looks. Hinata had been listening in, carefully keeping the laughter from her face at Ino's outburst. But no matter how hard they tried, their eyes sparkled with mirth.

People shifted uneasily after that, the new occupants looking as confused as a civilian who'd been handed a Kunai and shoved at a missing-nin from the Bingo books. Things settled down when Naruto began a monologue about how Ino was always hot tempered and flighty. Shikamaru glanced at Naruto in annoyance before going back to looking out the windows to the clouds above.

Silence reigned, with the exception of Naruto's chatter. Suigetsu shifted and Hinata took a seat near the chatterbox. Sakura stood still, not bothering to move, but waiting for the next explosion she knew was on its way. Most people would have started talking to relieve the stress of the current awkward silence, like Naruto, but she didn't mind the silence.

And then something akin to a pop or a crack sounded in her head, and she tensed in waiting.

"For the love of my minds sanity! You must be killing fairies and leprechauns just by doing that!" At TenTens sudden shriek everyone looked at her, Hinata and Sakura both scowled at the way TenTen's face flushed ten shades of red.

"That is it. I'm out of here! Call me when you've decided what to do today! If you don't call, I'll be back later!" With that TenTen jogged from the room, her hands rubbing over her eyes as she went.

Sakura shot Suigetsu a dirty look, watching his every move, which was quite hard considering the tunnel of wind boring through his chest. Like Ino, TenTen had left a parting gift for the person whose mind she heard. A sudden movement made Sakura jump to her feet, but it was only Itachi moving slowly; hand on the wall for support and guidance to the hallway. Sakura scowled, the hallway led to the door, bedrooms and kitchen, but the door was the closest.

In the blink of an eye the ANBU was next to him with speed matching Sasuke's. As the figure stood beside Itachi it held a curved and lethal dagger at Itachi's throat. The hilt was held in hand with the blade curving out and back until it the point reached the elbow, although it was held an inch away from the skin to prevent nicking the armored part of the limb.

"You will announce your destination before leaving the group. Where are you intending to go?" The ANBU's voice was low, gravely, like a hoarse whispered and completely undiscerning regarding gender.

"Restroom." Itachi didn't even flinch, his gaze of faded black stared at nothing in the air, although he seemed to be listening unusually hard to the speaker.

Not until Sasuke had severed ties with Akatsuki had Itachi sought his brother out, at that point Sasuke had known the truth about their clan's massacre, and had agreed to return home. At least that's what their report to Kakashi said, but Sakura wasn't sure she believed their explanation. As it was Sakura continued looking around the room, judging the reactions of the people.

Sasuke stood watching in silence, an Uchiha shirt now covering his torso. He must have changed while she was gone. Suddenly Sakura remembered she had left his robe in her room, she made a mental note to return it as soon as possible. The ANBU let Itachi pass, but stayed close by as he moved down the hall. Everyone in the room relaxed, although Neji and Shikamaru took that moment to walk out the door, to find their girls and calm them down.

Sakura relaxed and sat down, ignoring the onyx eyes that turned to her, probing for something. Suigetsu, Karin and Naruto started talking, all at the same time, each with a differing opinion on what to do. Naruto was voting to go eat, Suigetsu agreed until he heard Naruto's choice of food and Karin was quickly asserting herself by insulting the intelligence of both men while demanding to eat a completely different type of food.

Glancing at Hinata Sakura looked to the ceiling and gave a sigh, conveying her long suffering. As the fight continued Sakura scanned the gathered group until Itachi came back. He strolled in like he owned the world and that all in his presence were nothing by underlings. It was such an Uchiha attitude that Sakura had to roll her eyes. With his lack of perfect sight Itachi didn't even notice her action of spite.

'I'm hungry, what are we going to eat?' Hinata's voice was like the gentlest of breezes brushing her mind as Sakura scanned the room.

'No Ramen! I'll cook something here, it's hard enough having them in the village, let's not create a riot or a mob by taking them all out just yet. Give the villagers time to get used to the idea of them being here, under surveillance and of no perceived threat.' Sakura let her thoughts drift to Hinata, she was going to have enough trouble getting everyone else to stay inside without having to fight Naruto.

While Hinata would see to the blond, Sakura would have to deal with everyone else. Just as Sakura stood to make the announcement that she was going to cook lunch, the door slammed open. Everyone looked to the door, Ino and TenTen walked in with Neji and Shikamaru at their heels. Both Ino and TenTen looked relieved, obviously the change of attention in the room had changed the thoughts of the ones they listened to.

"So, we're hungry, anyone else?" It was Ino who spoke, her smile wide and her voice cheerful.

"I'm cooking lunch, everyone is staying here, no one leaves. There's no need to upset the village, I understand everything needed to cook has been delivered. I'll get on it right now." With that Sakura walked out of the room, ignoring Sasuke's eyes and focusing on his thoughts.

'She cooks. If it's anything like her fighting this isn't going to be pleasant. Should have stayed in hiding, would have been better.' His disparaging thoughts of her skills, both in combat and in the kitchen, made her determined to burn his food.

'Who are you kidding? I can't wait to eat; this is Sakura, so she's going to be better than a professional chef. That is my girl.' Sasuke's voice was in her head a second time, but his voice was less disparaging, it was all so strange.

She didn't understand the change of heart, like a contradicting child exclaiming his favorite color was blue then pointing to red when asked to show it. It was ridiculous and idiotic of someone Sasuke's age to be doing such a thing. What was wrong with him anyways?

Thinking back on what he had said the first time, Sakura wished he had stayed in hiding. Life would be so much easier. Besides, it wasn't easy being in the mind of a bipolar psychopath!

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I hope you enjoyed it! Review? Anyways, Until Next Week!


	8. Porcupine or Pincushion?

On Time! YES! Ok guys, here's the next part! I do hope you enjoy it! Let the fun begin!

And a question asked was if Madara had taken over Sasuke's body. I have to answer this. No, because yes, that WOULD be too creepy.

-Lady-of-Laughter

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Setting out the food, all cooked to perfection, Sakura hid a disgruntled frown. She had resisted burning things she knew Sasuke loved, she had gone so far as to set out tomatoes, although she almost wished she had gotten a few rotten ones just for him. After the group filed in Sakura watched as all the food was devoured, mostly by Naruto and Suigetsu. Somehow, that didn't surprise her.

Thankful she had eaten plenty while cooking the meal Sakura stared in wide eyed fascination as Naruto and Suigetsu began an eating contest. A glance at everyone showed her clearly what they thought. Ino and TenTen were disgusted, Karin was scornful, Itachi, Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru were ignoring them, Juugo seemed very much confused once he looked up from the cat in his arms, and Sakura, mirroring Hinata, was completely unfazed. This was typical of Naruto, even if Suigetsu was new to this place and group; they were not surprised by Naruto getting someone to join him, not in the least.

A loud noise like thunder resounded as the ground shook beneath them. Every head jerked to the hallway leading to the front door. They all hastily grappled for a hold to steady themselves as the earth shook. Shouts were heard from the street, a huge riot of noise clashed against alley walls to resound into the building. A sense of dread filled Sakura as she looked to the hall, something was very, very wrong if the deserted Uchiha main house could hear and feel what went on outside the Complex.

Every nerve sang in her body, her instincts telling her to fly out the door and do…something! As everyone else started to relax and settle back into their seats, Sakura found she couldn't relax, something nagged at her. Something was wrong with the situation and the event that caused the noise and trembling earth. She hadn't caused it, and she would know if a natural earthquake happened, even if she wasn't touching the earth. This wasn't natural.

Concerned, Sakura looked to Ino and TenTen. She wasn't in contact with soil or plants and therefore cut off from any information it might bring to her. TenTen shut her eyes and lifted her head high, testing and learning from the air in the room. Likewise Ino took a spot by the window, allowing the sunlight to stream in on her, standing exactly as TenTen did.

When their information drifted to her, Sakura was hit with a rushing wave of fear. Instantly she reacted, the smell of fear like a potent lotion on her skin. But she used that fear to her advantage. It became her adrenaline rush. When TenTen spoke to her, she instinctually knew what had happened, and Ino's message seconds later confirmed it.

_'A cloak of blue with the Uchiha symbol was spotted in the village, fleeing around corners. The ANBU are after him, they think its Sasuke or Itachi trying to leave the village.' _TenTen's mind spoke to Sakura even as her eyes lighted with misty silver, veiled from sunlight by her lashes.

Ino's lightly hazed eyes of gold flashed open and her gaze of horror struck at Sakura's heart as the information nearly stopped that organ. _'It's Taimu! He's wearing the robe you borrowed this morning!'_

"No!" With no more than that shouted exclamation, Sakura bolted, speeding almost as fast as her heart, which beat alarmingly fast in its attempt to get to reach her destination.

As she fled out the door Sakura left her shoes behind. She no longer wore shoes if she didn't need to, and never ones that wouldn't come off at half a seconds notice. As soon as her feet hit the dirt, Sakura knew that everything Ino and TenTen told her was true. At that moment Sakura cut off all links to the others, it would take a great effort for any of the girls to get through to her. But she needed to concentrate without any distractions.

The sound of feet behind her registered minutes after the soil dusting her feet and ankles told her the whole of the group had followed her. Blood pounded in her head as she ran, her mind straining for any knowledge of where her young brother was. He was only four, but she had been training him even now as young as he was. Already he was quick on his feet and a very fast thinker, like her he was very smart with excellent chakra control.

He was a clever little guy; it was no hard thing for her to imagine him escaping the ANBU. He was tiny, quick and smart. Not only could he fit in small places to hide, but he was smart enough to know when to hide, where to hide, which ways to go to confuse any followers. Helping him was his quick and easy movements through and around places the ANBU wouldn't fit in nor think to look. If they thought Taimu was Sasuke or Itachi, they wouldn't think to look in places only very small children would have the ability to hide in.

Finally Sakura found him. Joy swept through her as she knew he was unharmed, only seriously frightened. He didn't understand why the ninja of his village, who usually nodded or smiled to him when not on duty, and the ANBU who never seemed to notice him before, now chased him like he was a demon. He was terrified, and cold in the cool morning air, which was why he kept the robe firmly around himself.

Another burst of speed sent Sakura bounding over rooftops as fear for her brother returned to choke the air from her lungs and close her throat. Finally there was a dark blue flittering of cloth around a corner with a flash of red and white. Another bomb went off and Sakura stumbled on the roofing but regained her footing in time to jump to the next roof. The bomb was way off from where Taimu moved. The ANBU must not have seen his little body skirting around the different alley corners.

Sakura realized that if she weren't so terrified, she would be overwhelmingly proud of her brother for doing so well. But her pride and fear was tempered by her rationality returning. Taimu was quick and smart, but he could only run for so long and the ANBU were going to catch up and realize how he evaded them. It was only a matter of time.

"Taimu! Taimu come to me! Taimu, this way to me! Taimu, here! Taimu!" Sakura bounded over a roof, ahead of her and a few houses down Taimu ran around an alley corner.

"Taimu! I'm here, come to me Taimu!" Her screams finally reached him and Sakura watched as Taimu slowed and looked over his shoulder.

"Taimu!" Horror and despair suffocated her as Sakura saw six ANBU appear on the rooftops surrounding Taimu's position.

Taimu was unaware of the ANBU; he had stopped and looked at her with relief. All the ANBU stood motionless as silver flashed at their hands. They each held Kunai ready and waiting, it was only when Taimu started to run towards her that the ANBU let their weapons fly. They could not tell that the figure in blue was a child not a man full grown; from above they could not tell that Taimu stood only a few feet instead of the six-foot-something statures of the Uchiha brothers.

"NO!" Sakura leapt, her body hurdling through the air into the path, her arms reached Taimu and pulled him under her body, and curled around him as the Kunai reached them.

As Taimu was tucked safely under her balled up body, Sakura bit her lip and held in the cries of pain as twenty-four Kunai buried themselves in her body. With the explosions of pain all over her body, Sakura counted the places Kunai had struck. Twelve were spread over the expanse of her back, eight in her upper back, four in her lower back. One was in her right calf and another two in her left hamstring.

One Kunai scratched bone in her right shoulder and two Kunai were in the flesh of her upper left arm. One was imbedded in the ground beside her head; it had left a nasty cut along the side of her head just above her ear. In her right side were yet another two Kunai and in her left side another three. With a groan Sakura thought that if this wasn't so very horrible, she could see Taimu laughing and calling her a porcupine.

Pushing the pain to the back of her mind Sakura held Taimu close, her arms protectively around him. Finally standing straight Sakura looked to the ANBU now on the ground floor as well as the group. Keeping his small arms wrapped firmly around her legs, his head buried against her, as if to melt right into her and her strength. She ignored the pain of metal tearing flesh as she moved and irritated their positions.

While keeping her hands on Taimu, Sakura could only think sarcastically that everyone had taken their sweet time getting to her. They all stood silent and still, although the Konoha group stood looking fierce and ready to fight. Ino, Hinata and TenTen had softly glowing eyes as they monitored the situation. The Uchiha's people merely looked on with amused wariness.

"This is no Uchiha! Stand down and go back to your usual business! This is my Taimu; he is mistakenly wearing a robe that is not his. I'm sorry, I take full responsibly, please, continue with your day." Sakura watched as the ANBU slowly left, leaving her and Taimu in peace even though she knew they did not completely leave the area, the real Uchiha's were out now.

Ino, TenTen and Hinata were the only ones to approach her, their eyes slowly losing their glow. They stood around her, Hinata taking Taimu from her grip as Ino and TenTen removed the Kunai. It was painful, as much as when they had entered her body, but the weapons needed to be removed if Sakura was going to heal herself.

Once all her quills had been removed, having only let out two grunts during the removal process; she let her body glow a soft green as the healing chakra crawled over her, repairing all the damage. Relief spread through her muscles, her nerves eased, and her heart moved back to its normal speed. When the adrenaline seeped away, Sakura let out a sigh, allowing herself to shift back to more familiar ground and opened her mind to the voices that were surely chattering away.

_'What is she doing now? Is she healing herself? That's not possible. And who is this Taimu kid? She said 'my Taimu,' which means she's had a kid, meaning she's been with someone and had his brat._' Sasuke's thoughts met her, completely factual and without a hint of emotion.

Sakura grimaced; he thought Taimu was her son, not her brother. And yet, for all his earlier possessive thoughts and statements of her becoming his wife (no matter what she wanted apparently) he didn't show any kind of emotion. Swallowing past the unexpected feelings of bitterness, she grit her teeth in anger. What did he know about family and sacrifice anyways?

Just as she decided he was a complete idiot who truly was emotionless, something changed and his face darkened minimally. '_She's mine! The man will have to die. The child will have to be made second to her; she is mine as I am hers. If she won't give up the child it will have to be given away or disposed of. We've waited too long to be together again, I'll not lose her to some child that is not mine, I won't allow it. Not ever. The only worry is if she has grown too attached to the brat as well, I'll have to find out quickly.'_

She noticed again the oddness of his thoughts, it was his voice, but it was not his voice, it was buoyed by something new. Almost deeper, as voices were prone to get when the speaker was angry, needing to be forceful. She couldn't decide what, she wanted to say determination, but that wasn't quite it. She was intrigued; she understood the voices of her fellow Kōgō and the power that was their second voices. In the same way the three other Kōgō had their Tennō, and Sakura knew their voices and the power that was their seconds also.

Sakura was almost afraid to admit that Sasuke's voice was like theirs, except that Sasuke didn't have two voices and she did not detect the power of a Tennō. There was only one Tennō out there to find. She detected great power in Sasuke, but she also detected similar power in Itachi and a great well of power in Suigetsu and Juugo, but they were no threat to her.

Sasuke's force nagged at her, it was off, wrong. Something was not right. She didn't trust him, and he was threatening her brother for a future she didn't care about, a past she didn't want to remember and a promise of the present together she didn't feel excited about. And what did he mean by 'them being together' again? They had never been together in the way his words insinuated! Not that it would matter, her and Sasuke together?

Yeah, like she'd even unconsciously think about allowing such absurdity for her life! Not only that, but he wanted it at the expense of her brother's involvement in her life. He wanted Taimu's death. That she would not stand for! Sasuke would meet a swift end if he dared even sneeze in Taimu's direction. Her brother was her world, and she was never going to allow him any kind of pain from anyone such as Sasuke as long as she had the power to avert such a thing. And as a Kōgō, she had that power.

With a scowl pointed at Sasuke, Sakura let her thoughts drift to the three women so they would know what she was thinking, she saw them nod grimly before shooting a death glare Sasuke's way. "_I'll tear him limb from limb with my bare hands if he tries to give away or kill Taimu as he's stated. I'll take the punishment, I place Taimu in the care of you three if it should come to that. Let him come, let him try to defy me._"

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And that's all for now! Review please? Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. Surprise! Surprise!

So, NOT on time. I'm sooo very sorry! I'll do my best to get the next chapter up on time! But I hope you enjoy this chapter none the less. And to answer a few questions.

No, Madara did not take over Sasuke. And Tenno is Emporer. So the girls are Empresses, and their Tenno are their Emperors. The girls are of the 4 Seasons, and the guys are of night, day, spirit and wisdom. Hope that helps!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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"I'll take him now, I'm going to take Taimu home for a while. I'll head to the house after dinner; someone else will have to take over making dinner." With that said Sakura took Taimu from Hinata and started home with him cradled in her arms, Sasuke could go shove his head in a tree stump for all she cared.

Jumping over rooftops Sakura landed on the branch of her bedroom tree before swinging easily into the bedroom window. Setting Taimu on the floor, taking the robe from his shoulders as she gently patted his small shuddering back. Taimu looked up at her; his lower lip trembled as his eyes grew moist. He turned to her as Sakura tossed the robe onto a chair, and held up his arms, already little noises emanated from the back of his throat.

"Why did they chase me and try to hurt me? Did I do something wrong? I know you were wearing that jacket, was I not supposed to wear it? I thought if it was yours, and okay for me to wear; it made me feel important to wear something of yours. Am I not supposed to touch it?" Taimu's broken tone shattered Sakura's heart and she once again gathered him into her arms.

"Oh, my wonderful little baby boy." Swaying slightly with one hand running through Taimu's hair, Sakura murmured that it was not his fault, it was all a misunderstanding and that he had done nothing wrong.

Slowly Taimu's trembling ceased and his small huffs of breath on her collar bone dwindled down to a rhythmic beat. Carefully Sakura set Taimu on the bed, and taking his small hands in one of hers Sakura smiled as she pulled two twigs from his hair and held them up for him to see. Pressing her hands together over, Sakura slowly moved her hands and fingers around, as if modeling something from clay.

When she dropped the contents of her hands into Taimu's smaller upturned ones, she smiled in delight at her creation. A chain of gold fell over Taimu's palms, and in his hand was a flat cherry tree. The dark tiger eye gemstone was the tree base, jade was the leaves, but the most delicate of the two inch tall tree was the pink opals that were the very tiny cherry blossoms.

"Here now. Taimu, this is for you to wear always, to remember me and to have something of mine. The robe doesn't really belong to me, but you don't need that to feel important. This is much smaller and easier to hide, just like you! Just remember, you're important to me whether you have something of mine or not, you are my brother, my most important person. Back there, that was a misunderstanding, that's all. You did nothing wrong." As she spoke Sakura clasped the chain around Taimus neck, letting the tree fall to his small chest.

Taimu's head tilted, his chin touching his chest as he lifted the tree to look at it, nearly going cross eyed trying to view it better. Sakura smiled, for now the necklace would hang down too far, but as he grew to be a man it would fit him perfectly. Without a word Sakura grabbed Taimu and swung him up and over her shoulder, his shrieks of laughter bringing back the happiness of their usual time together.

Running from their home Sakura bounded down the apartment building stairs and out into the street. From there she ran down the street, Taimu's laughter flowing behind her like a billowing cloak. Sakura slid sideways and ran into the park only to find flat ground to safely spin around on. Taimu shrieked and giggled, he had always loved to spin at alarming speeds.

Finally, after they were both dizzy beyond reckoning, Sakura stumbled to sit down with her back against a tree; Taimu safely tucked in her lap and enfolded in her arms. As they sat and talked, spending a few hours under their tree, Sakura felt the presence of two people in a nearby tree. From their chakra signatures Sakura knew it was Naruto and Sasuke, watching her and Taimu in complete silence. Why Sasuke was allowed out of the house with only Naruto to watch him she understood. Sasuke, no matter how powerful he had become, couldn't compete with the power of a Tennō.

As the sun fell in the sky Sakura monitored the two ninja in the trees until they left. As the dinner hour approached the two left their hiding places and made their way toward the Uchiha compound. Carefully Sakura manipulated the earth around them, pulling the ground up beside her on both sides by her knees to stand in small columns a foot tall.

Picking up two handfuls of loose dirt Sakura moved her hands, much like she had when fashioning Taimu's necklace. Releasing her fists Sakura held two flints in her hand to start a fire. Setting the flints into Taimu's hands for him to study she focused on the towers of dirt. Moving her hands and fingers through the air, occasionally pulling her fingers into fists and releasing them, she hummed slightly as she worked. After a few moments of the gentle shifting of dirt, the columns boasted dry grass and coal chunks.

Clashing the flints together until they sparked Sakura set the two into flickering flames. With a smile Sakura glanced down at Taimu, his face was illuminated by the fire as the light of the setting sun slid farther below the horizon. Sakura controlled the elements of earth, and although she had no control over fire, she had control over things that _did_ spark and make fire burn bright.

Taimu turned in her lap to face her, his back to the flames and clapped his hands while laughing at Sakura. Making faces at her young brother Sakura set about tickling him and making all manner of excited squeaks come from her brother's small figure. Their day may have started out in a chaotic panic, but it was settling into a pleasant ending.

When the sun set and the land was cast into complete darkness, Sakura made the torches fatter, so as to burn brighter and longer. They talked and laughed for some time, and as Sakura enjoied the time with her brother she didn't ignore the trickle of knowledge and the presence of another in a nearby tree. She knew who it was, and she had no problem with him being there because she could handle him, but she did wonder why he was out alone. Ignoring the hidden man, Sakura began to sing to her brother the song her mother sang to her.

_"Hush, little boy, don't say a word._

_Sakura's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

_And if that mockingbird won't sing,_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

_And if that diamond ring turns brass,_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a looking glass_

_And if that looking glass gets broke,_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a billy goat_

_And if that billy goat won't pull,_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

_And if that cart and bull turn over,_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a dog named Rover_

_And if that dog named Rover won't bark_

_Sakura's gonna buy you a horse and cart_

_And if that horse and cart fall down,_

_You'll still be the sweetest little boy in town."_

A half hour later Sakura lifted an exhausted Taimu into her arms, watching as his eyes worked to stay open and his small head lolled against her shoulder. With one hand Sakura raised mounds of dirt and smothered out the flames of her torches before moving the dirt back to the ground. When that was finished Sakura walked home, she couldn't see in the dark any better than she ever had, but the soil told her where she was and she was easily able to find her way.

As she walked the earth communicated what her ninja skills already told her, Sasuke followed. Something about him was different, and even as she pondered on those oddities, Sakura slowly began to let her mind drift from the man she loathed, and to thoughts of a more pleasant nature. Sakura hummed, her soft melody whispering through Taimu's hair as her breath tickled his small ears.

When she finally making it to her apartment Sakura gently settled Taimu into bed before crossing to her side of the room to change and settle in her own bed. This time Sakura made sure to put on long flannel pants and an overlarge black t-shirt. Easing under the covers Sakura let out a sigh, clearing her mind of all else she reached out.

Touching Sasuke's mind Sakura let his thoughts filter through her brain, monitoring for any thoughts of treachery or why he was following her. Also for why and how he had even gotten out alone. She hadn't gone to dinner like she had promised, but she didn't see how that would affect him being out, alone or not.

The thoughts she heard, expected to be hostile or of a plotting nature was so different from expectation that Sakura nearly wept in sorrow. _'She'll be the perfect mother to his children, and of course, she is the perfect one. She'll is perfect for him, not that he will admit it or allow himself to ease up and love her. Dolt that he is, letting himself wallow in that self-inflicted misery, he's by far the biggest moron I've seen. It will take great strength on her part, but if she works for it, she may pull it off. If anyone can, it's her; those of the chosen bloodlines always could accomplish the impossible, and by how he's affected by her. Without even realizing it, she already has. I just hope they both notice, before it's too late.'_

Well that wasn't cryptic at all! What was he playing at? He was somehow aware that she could hear his thoughts and he was messing with her head wasn't he? Sakura lay in bed frozen; terrified to death of the truth that made itself known when she reached out unexpectedly with the power. Her world crashed down around her as she bolted up, sitting with the covers clutched over her chest, her eyes searching the darkness of night outside her window.

He was gone, they were gone. And as Sakura's emotions got the best of her, the tears fell. For them both she cried, for the relationship that would be forced and the horror of what must happen she mourned. But most of all, she wept for the traitorous heart and mental betrayal she knew was true. She had fought against that thought viciously, only hoping that such a thing would never happen. Now it mocked her.

It had happened, and although the consequences would disrupt her life and that of the other four, most of all it would affect Taimu. It was for Taimu that she bitterly loathed herself, she had done this. Unknowingly and unintentionally as it was, it all rested on her shoulders. With nothing but grief in her heart, a physical cry of anguish was muffled by the covers. It was the mental agony of a deed long past that went out against her wishes.

That mental cry tore the others from sleep and dreams, forcing Sakura to quickly cut herself off from the others. Valiantly hoping that they would believe it only a dream; Sakrua gripped her blankets while gasping for air. Sweat began to gather on her forehead, and she had to blink and swallow against the tears that threatened. But sadly her effort to halt the wordless message was not to be.

Only two minutes after her mental cry the three women blasted into her room. Each regal and majestic in their gowns and jewels, eyes blazing with restrained fury at whatever would cause such anguish from one of their own. Likewise four men appeared, three regally dressed also and with glowing eyes of panic as they made sure nothing had touched their women. It was the fourth man to appear that threw everyone off and struck terror into the hearts of those gathered, the truth was out, and it was not something they had expected or would be celebrating.

A flash of brilliant light infiltrated the room, a part of the room spouted silver words and symbols while another part of the room was recovering from a shimmering cloud of glittering dust. The three Tennō men had arrived in style, but the fourth man who had teleported in stood silent, almost confused if his immobile face could be read at all. The glow faded as the words and symbols faded away just as the glittering dust disappeared in its descent toward the ground.

Without words Ino, Hinata and TenTen grabbed Sakura and were gone, pulling her along with them. The three Tennō men followed quickly, grabbing the fourth man, and without having to be told where to go, arrived at the right place. They stopped in the park Sakura had just arrived home from. With Sakura shivering on the grassy landscape, Ino, Hinata and TenTen stood around her like human shields. The men arrived and took up positions much the same around whom they thought to be the new Tennō, although they were not human shields; they were a human prison cell.

For a few minutes everyone sorted out what was going on, all supremely surprised and genuinely confused by the man in their midst. Eyes opened wide as mouths dropped open in stunned surprise, they knew who the fourth Tennō was. They knew with certainty who it was, but this man, this man was not the one they knew to be the fourth Tennō. At least, that's what they had thought. Insane as it was, he also embodied the fourth Tennō title, and very likely could have been the first to come to mind as well as Sasuke. Something was wrong, something was very wrong with what was happening!

Finally Ino burst with a quizzical shout of astonishment, "Itachi?"

Itachi staring and listened, his face impassive, but his mouth tilted down in a frown as he felt the different ground with his foot. He neither spoke nor moved simply stood and frowned; his misty black eyes searching the air as his feet gently tapped the uneven earth. Only one person managed any vocal words during the long moments after Ino's exclamation.

It being Sakura, she only moaned her words of despair, "_Oh no_."

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I hope you enjoyed that! Uhm, review? See you at the endo f the month, when hopefully I will _actually_ get the next chapter out on time!


	10. Claiming of a Night

Hey Everyone! Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it! And (Just Barely) ON TIME! YAY!

Ok, anyways, Enjoy!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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He stood silently, the man was enraged but he was no longer in control, with everything happening he wouldn't have any control until he could prove himself to be trusted. He should stay away, none other but the one chosen was trusted. Who else was he supposed to go? So from he watched, pushing back the angry man inside and focusing on being unreadable and undetected while watching.

She sat shivering, not yet allowing the power to take control. She was strong, even in her despair. Darkness was all he needed; his stealthy movements would not be caught, not even by the Kōgō. Not unless they were trying very hard to find him, and from the looks of the controlled chaos of this nights impending doom, no one would be looking for him overly much. Unfortunately the pandemonium that held their attention didn't last as long as he had hoped. The woman who was spring's daughter was impressive and wasn't going to be fooled so easily.

After only a few minutes of moaning her despair and listening to the general hubbub of the others, who finally gained enough control over themselves to speak, the pink haired woman froze. She stood swiftly, her head turning with eyes blazing gold as they looked him squarely in the eye. He was caught.

A savage snarl came from her sneering lips as she glared; the others gave no notice to her as they demanded what Itachi was doing there. All the while Itachi stood silent, as confused as the rest of them, although he kept that fact well hidden. It was only moments after their explosion of bewildered rage that another figure appeared out of nowhere, landing soundlessly beside Itachi.

It was the ANBU, looking to the four women for instruction. A deep bow was given to each of the women before the figure turned to the three Tennō men and repeated the action. The four females and the three men nodded their acknowledgement before allowing the mysterious one to teleport away, Itachi along for the ride.

"Itachi is not the one we're after, we should have known right away. But I'm confident the one we want is here, hiding in the darkness. As well he should! A Naito Tennō would find it most easy to hide in the darkness and the man being who he is, hiding from us is nothing new. Although I'm surprised he hasn't left yet, he's become very good at the act of abandonment." The incredible woman with bubblegum colored hair spoke up, her bitter words making the angry man bristle as his previous anger turned to white hot rage.

"Hide from us no longer _Sasuke_, show yourself and explain why you hide like a coward!" The golden eyed woman spoke with authority enough to warrant obedience, even without using the Kōgō power.

From the shadows a figure came forward, moving slowly and monitoring the situation while looking the other Tennō over. The man inside pounded at the restraints that held him locked away, with effort the power ignored him and focused on the familiar clothes of the Tennō. Knowing that the man's body was clothed in his apparel, he left the deep shadows to stand in the flickering light of Ino's fire and Naruto's glow. Whether the man inside was happy about it or not, they had been found and he would remain locked away if he couldn't control his anger.

Naruto was first to be noticed, because it was Naruto that stood in such bright colors with his loud mouth held shut in a grim line, for once in his life. Naruto had a bright yellow Hadagi under his bright orange Nu-bakama bloused pants and his Suikan shirt, his Hikigoshi tie was also a bright yellow, setting off his clothes in an almost garish color combination that oddly worked for him. The rest of the men wore Hakama's like Naruto, but theirs were of less offensive colorings and combinations.

Shikamaru wore a light tan Hadagi and Hikigoshi with dark green Nu-bakama and Suikan. Neji stood stiffly in his white Hadagi and Hikigoshi and dark blue Nu-bakama and Suikan, although his rigid posture was because of his intense alertness not discomfort. Sasuke wore a dark brown Hadagi and Hikigoshi with black Nu-bakama and Suikan, of course it made sense that he wore dark colors, his darkness wouldn't hide him well if he were in Naruto's colors.

Each man was bare footed, like the women, and also had lethal swords at their sides, held by the Hikigoshi ties. Their eyes shifted colors also; Sasuke and Shikamaru had eyes that misted over with a black haze while Neji and Naruto had eyes that misted over with a pure white haze. Their hair, all in differing lengths, were in the usual hair styles of the men, the Tennō powers had no use for making sure hair was done properly, the Kōgō powers were meticulous about hair and clothes just as most women were.

Stepping out into the moonlight and towards the waiting group, the man inside raged with renewed vigor. But the power kept a tight lid on him, and with the long study of the man, the power knew that to protect them both, he had to be the man. So very carefully he acted, knowing all too well how Sasuke would act. And by the darkness of night, he knew it would not be pretty.

"Hn." His quiet disgruntled sound made Sakura glare, her eyes glinting gold with suppressed fury.

Moving swiftly Sasuke came to a stop near the group, watching them and feeling the different emotions from two different entities in each body. The men and women were equally furious, stunned and full of dread at the realization of what they had always known to be true. The powers of each person rejoiced at the finding of their last Tennō. The particularly strong response of longing, buried below anger, from the human woman was confusing unless their history was considered. This was turning out to be very interesting.

"It had to be you didn't it? You couldn't just leave us alone could you? We were fine without you! We don't need you. _I_ don't need you! No matter what my Kōgō thinks or feels for my Tennō, the one inside you, this can never be; we can never be. You left and I moved on, the powers may love each other, but nothing will ever happen because I can't do anything to make my Kōgō happy. Not if it involves you." Her voice was like a lash over his senses.

Inside the man grew still, his recent fire-like fury turned icy cold. But more curious than his abrupt change of fury was the man's sudden reflections, his thoughts changed completely. No longer was the man simply furious for being shut away, he seemed suddenly angry for the things spoken by the woman. As if he was offended, and that made no sense. He had left her.

His indifference to the woman wasn't new; the man was indifferent to everyone. But this indifference was a whole new level of intense disregard. Being privy to all the man's thoughts and memories gave the power an advantage. The man used to be on the team with the girl, but he had abandoned them to become stronger and get revenge for his family. Now that he knew who was really to blame, and that his brother wasn't what he had thought, Sasuke was upset with himself.

His brother had given everything up, and Sasuke had given it all up also, but Itachi hadn't left anyone but his brother behind. Sasuke who was given a second chance with his team, had thrown his chance away. And now the repercussions were making themselves known, mocking the choices he had made. Mainly it was the way the woman really was fine without him. How the girl he had known; simpering, innocent and in need of his protection, the only who had ever needed him was now very much capable without him.

The man was feeling the sting; the loss of the one he had always thought would need him, even through the anger of rejection. Admittedly he realized that situations had changed, that they were probably not so very happy with him, but he did not expect such a hostile welcome. The man's mind was in chaos, trying to adjust to everything. The force inside thought it served him right, which was odd simply because they were very much alike.

The creature found her speech unsettling, she said they would never be happy, but the powers would not be denied. If it really came down to it, they could shut the people away where they would never hear, see or experience what happened. He was determined that no matter what the woman said, he had waited long enough for his Kōgō.

He had had to live shut away within this man, being allowed very little access to the world for so long. He would not be shut away again, and to make sure that didn't happen, the power shut away the thoughts from the woman's searching mind. If it had to be done, both the woman and the man would be shut firmly away while the Kōgō and Tennō were together. Regrettable as it might be for them, forced to do what they did not want to do, the powers needed to be together and their needed to be a daughter, to ensure the continuity of the line.

The one thing that bothered both men was the child. The man of night was not happy, from what he had seen, the child may have been conceived and birthed before the woman had ever found and released the waiting Kōgō. But that meant that there was a man somewhere that the woman might still love, which could mean all manner of unpleasant days were ahead. The mere thought that the woman had had the child after releasing the Kōgō power was even more upsetting. Neither power nor his man was very good with judging the child's age from the little they had seen of him. Insides twisted at the idea of their woman being with someone else, and the child was all the proof they needed.

They would not allow anyone but him to touch her, there was no possible way the woman had conceived and birthed the child while the power was with her. It wasn't possible; the woman had to have had the child before the power was released! But no matter what he told himself, the man inside brooded. It seemed the memory of undying love from the woman many years ago had been believed. Now that the man saw she had a child, and that she had loved another man, he was forced to look at the world through new eyes. This new possessive nature from the human was interesting, their being of one accord concerning Sakura as well.

Reality he had long denied was true, because the weak child that had been Sakura could never grow to be a ninja to be reckoned with. She still was, in the man's mind, a child unable to defend herself. But there she stood, powers lighting her eyes, her small and slender body standing with no fear as her actions of their arrival day played in his memory. She was no child. She was no weakling. And she was someone to be feared. She was magnificent, and the man had a huge qualm about admitting it. For that he was a fool.

Playing it cool Sasuke, or rather the Tennō that held the real Sasuke at bay, moved slightly forward towards the furious woman, he could only resolve to make her his once again. The power reached out, touching the female's power. Touching the night and actually looking at the information it could bring him, he pondered. Joy coursed through him at being reunited with his ancient love, and the knowledge of the night giving him new insight.

The child was hers, but it was not of her body. He was a brother, not a son. The last living relative she had, father having died before the explosion that took their mother and the boy's twin sister. He was her world, what kept her going; he was her pride and joy. The option of discarding the child was tossed from the options list, for even the power was fond and feeling maternal instincts toward the boy. He wouldn't be touched. At that information the power accepted the child into the situation, and lost all anger at his woman being touched by another, she had never known a man.

Undefiled, untainted, she was still pure. She had been waiting for the one, the right one, although she didn't even truly realize it herself. And when the man locked away was allowed that information, there was silence. He neither fought to get out, nor displayed any emotions, if forced to guess the Tennō would have said the man had been stunned senseless. But he wasn't angry anymore, which was a good sign. A challenge was before them, winning the girl back to trusting and loving the man. A challenge of wooing her, and that was sure to be fun considering that while the Tennō would have to work for it, so would the man.

Knowing an answer to her previous statement was needed the Tennō spoke, using just enough indifference into his tone to assure everyone it was the man speaking. "That's too bad isn't it. My Tennō and your Kōgō are one. Meant to be together, as they have always been; we don't really matter. And so we will be together."

Looking at everyone else around them, his fellow Tennō and her fellow Kōgō, he made eye contact, knowing the powers and humans both would feel his power and understand his words. When he next looked at Sakura, her eyes no longer golden but now green and blazing with relinquished rage, he put power behind his words so they would stick. The human could deny it all she wanted, but when his words bound him to her, she would have no choice.

"_I, the man Sasuke and my Naito Tennō, **claim** you, the woman Sakura and your Kōgō no Haru_." He felt his words wash over her, binding her to him.

The Tennō kept himself from rubbing his hands in anticipation. Glee filled the night creature; the fun was just about to begin!

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	11. Spring Claiming or Night Betrayal?

It it ON TIME! Job well done! I might have been late updating around Midterms or Finals. But Not on Vacation. Yup, I'm on vaction, and no, I did not forget you! So here's the next chapter, I do hope you'll enjoy it!

-Lady-of-Laughter

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"_I, the woman Sakura and my Kōgō no Haru, __**claim**__ you, the man Sasuke and your Naito Tennō."_ Not to be outdone her words flowed out, binding him to her just as effectively as his words had previously bound her to him.

The difference was, his was voluntary, and she had not meant to say it! It had come, not truly forced from her, but had come like an impulse she hadn't the time to consider or fight. It burst forth, words of power and binding. And she sagged, allowing the dark oblivion to take her from the reality of what had just happened. No matter how much she didn't want him, she could have none other. And even if he didn't want her, as she suspected he didn't really, he could have no other but her as well.

Her thought as she rested into the arms of sleep was simple: 'We're doomed.'

Not for a week could the women look at Sasuke without glaring. For three weeks 'incidents' happened, they denied having anything to do with them, but Naruto was left snickering every time. Having Sasuke walk into a room and watch his sleeve smolder until it burst into flames was only the first of many occurrences that had to be 'explained' to Itachi. Because he couldn't see but found the stories highly amusing, the men took it upon themselves to talk him through each innocent accident that happened to his brother.

The next little catastrophe happened when Sasuke reached for a tomato at lunch, only to find it withering in his hand, like it had sat in the sun for too long. Then while he sat far from the fire a day later, he found his garments had very suddenly frozen. There was a particularly funny event of a tiny dust whirlwind, which happened to rise up right in front of his face and die out after passing him. And as Ino was feeling the most vindictive, Sasuke dealt with two more fires randomly starting somewhere on his person.

He was irritated and angry, but his restraint was enough that he didn't simply reach out and snap the neck of whomever happened to be near. In addition, the Tennō held him tightly in check if he showed even the slightest break in his self-control. It was easy enough to put out the flames, change his clothes back from its frozen state, and wash his dusty face. What no one anticipated, and no one liked, was the way Sakura changed when she was around the Uchiha.

As they were assigned to stay at the Uchiha home all day, it was their nights they enjoyed. Only then did the three see the old Sakura, because when she was at the Uchiha Complex, she was very different. And although it would have scared them to see her sullen and quiet as she had been the first week after the night in the park, what she did now was far more frightening to them.

Because now, after they had claimed each other in the park, there really was no going back. No more choice in the matter. She belonged to him, more so than even a wife who had the choice of leaving. And he belonged to her, more than a husband who likewise had a choice to leave. But they had no such choice. It had been made, and they had spoken the binding words that would not allow them to choose another. She had no option now, but to eventually marry him, if for no other reason than to produce a male heir to the Uchiha line and a female heir to the Kōgō line.

But as exciting, devastating and worrisome as that all was, it was about to get more interesting. It was a bright morning, one month after the return of the brothers and their troupe. As they approached the compound three sets of eyes watched in resignation. The sparkle of green eyes died out, the softest mist of gold took its place. Her smile fell away and the rosy complexion of her cheeks fled. He steps, normally springing and energetic slowed so that she lagged behind. And every day, without fail, she would look at the closed door before taking a deep breath and knocking.

When she let out that breath, they watched what little part of Sakura was still there shrink away into the inner most parts of her mind, allowing the Kōgō to take control. It became obvious after the first week that she was having trouble accepting the path that lay before her. She had winced every time Sasuke was in view; stiffened anytime he shifted or moved, and cringed into herself if he looked at her.

Now, she was no longer Sakura. Sakura slept in a peaceful oblivion of ignorance while using her form and face the Kōgō bustled around, preparing meals, chatting with those who would speak. The real shock came whenever she passed Sasuke and occasionally touched his shoulder as she moved by. It was strange enough seeing Sakura this way, much less looking at Sasuke without the usual indifference, but seeing her touch him with a smile, or bending slightly to whisper something in his ear? That was when even Sasuke's team knew something was wrong with her.

That Sasuke acted as if it were all completely normal sent panic through the gathered observers. They expected nothing from him; he was a stone cold cube after all. But when she touched him for the first time and he did more than ignore her, more than just Naruto stood with jaw hanging. As her hand rested on his shoulder Sasuke's hand rose to rest over hers, going so far as to slightly squeeze it, although his face remained as empty as Orochimaru's heart. When she whispered close to his ear, his eyes kept their flat and blank stare but he still turned towards her with the faintest of smiles curving his lips.

It was so wrong, so strange and off that most of the time they stood around thunderstruck at the newest interaction between the two that defied reason. And it seemed as though they had no notion of what happened during those times. Sasuke had been asked thoroughly, but had merely frowned and said he had done no such thing, and he couldn't remember her doing anything of the sort either.

On Sakura's part, when they left the house she would slowly come back to herself and when she left the gates of the compound, became her normal self. Hinata had asked what was going on, but Sakura had given her a confused look before asking what she meant. As TenTen explained, Sakura shook her head and said she wouldn't speak so near Sasuke, let alone touch him. It worried them, how both could be so clueless.

As another month passed in this fashion, TenTen and Neji went to the Hokage, but he simply shrugged. It had to be accepted, it was their way of coping until they could work things out in order to be themselves with one another. Their trust of one another was damaged; their ability to function with one another after these new developments was obviously not working if they chose to retreat inside themselves whenever they were together.

Only during the fourth month of the Uchihas being back did it finally change. It was a night of silence that gave way to a day of chaos.

Settling Taimu in for bed Sakura laughed at her brother as he sneezed so hard his eyes watered. His crooked smile gave away his thought that he had accomplished something great, because obviously bodily functions like that required effort on his part. He gave a great sigh and flopped back onto his pillow and blew her a kiss before yawning and snuggling into the warmth of his bed and promptly fell asleep.

Moving outside her apartment, needing fresh air, she gazed at the stars. She contemplated the night sky, hardly believing that it would be the four month mark in three days. It seemed such a haze, and for some reason the villagers hadn't rioted or given any real protest. They had been unsettled, but eventually the novelty had died away when nothing extraordinary happened. Only the ninja remained vigilant in their suspicions of the group. But the most exciting thing that could be talked about was the four different female ninja that had each found a way to hurt Suigetsu for touching them inappropriately, during their guard duty, whenever they ventured close enough for him to reach with his strange watery arms.

Leaning on the railing, Sakura glanced to her left, where the stairs stood empty in the silence of impending night. Gazing at the stars helped her in no way, but then neither did staring pointlessly at the ground one level down. It wouldn't be a difficult jump to the earth below, as she longed to do, but she had to go in for sleep. Taimu couldn't be left alone, even if she did want to be on the ground with her toes in the dust and connected to her element.

Spending a few minutes staring up at the sky she contemplated everything going on. She had been avoiding it all, making the Kōgō take control whenever they got to Sasuke's house. It troubled her, the stories that the girls told her about the behavior of her Kōgō, but not nearly as much as Sasuke's behavior was. But she attributed that to his Tennō, because Sasuke was truly emotionally dead, it wouldn't be like him to touch or smile at her. More likely he would react as he had before, by slamming her into a wall with eyes promising death.

Sucking in a long breath of the crisp air Sakura shook her head. Letting that air out in one short release she straightened her shoulders and set her jaw, her eyes sparking with determination. As if she were going into battle she stood ready, and that's what she planned on doing. It had gone on long enough; it was time to face facts and reality. In the morning she would face Uchiha Sasuke and his Tennō. They were going to work something out, and she was going to set ground rules regarding Taimu, because he wasn't going to be touched!

Standing straight and pushing off the metal safety rail she turned around, ready to head inside and to bed. Before she reached her doors handle her world went hazy before it fell into blackness. She couldn't move or see, but she was aware of what was going on, letting her know she was not completely unconscious. She sent a signal out, reaching for help, but found she could not access her Chakra, nor could she touch or speak to the other Kōgō. It was like she had run into a stone wall full speed, in the dark without knowing it was there.

A moment of panic washed over her, both herself and the creature that was her Kōgō felt a spike of fear. There was only one way to silence a Kōgō, but everything screamed it couldn't be what had happened. Only a Kōgō or Tennō had the power to silence another of their ranks, and even that was temporary. But if she had been silenced, who could have done it? Rage billowed through her as she contemplated who might be responsible for this.

Arms snaked below her knees and back, lifting her from her slumped position. There was little sound other than the music of night; all she could make out was the gentlest whisper of feet walking with near silence. There was nothing spoken, and from the sounds of the feet, this person worked alone. She was confounded, she might not be on the ground and aware of whom was around her that way, but she_ was_ a ninja. She should have heard someone approaching! Was she losing her touch now that the Kōgō was there, helping her all the time?

With steely resolve Sakura forced herself to think logically. And so the process of elimination began. Naruto would never do this, he would sooner die. Hinata might have been something of a doormat in her younger years, but she wouldn't be bullied anymore, and silencing Sakura like this went against everything Hinata was. TenTen was like a mother hen, and her first instinct was always to protect, she wouldn't have done this, she would have fought whoever wanted this done.

Ino would have sent up an alarm with only her voice that would have woken the entire village had she known someone attempted this, especially to her best friend. Neji wouldn't do this either, he was too much of a warrior, this was a cowards way of getting something. Neji would have faced her straight on if he had something to say to her, and if she knew something he didn't want known to the world, he would have come to her.

Shikamaru was a lazy bum and a genius, this wasn't his style either. If there was something weighing on his mind, he would seek her out to talk. And this strategy wouldn't be his way either, because Shikamaru might be lazy, but like Neji, he wouldn't take the coward's way out. Which meant there was only one left; Sasuke. But why would he do this? There had been nothing in his thoughts about silencing her or any of the others, and why would he risk this when he wanted to stay in the good graces of the Hokage, council and village? And added to that, after the way everyone told her he was acting around her, she didn't think this was his work either. But she couldn't be sure.

That she was more than sure none of them were doing this, her head told her someone must have done it. If none but their own could make them quiet, then there was no other option than to admit someone had betrayed them, or at the very least her. And it stung worse than the first time as a child when he had betrayed them, but Sakura knew that if any had betrayed _her_, it was Sasuke. Her Kōgō rebelled at the thought, letting her know in no uncertain terms that his Tennō would have stopped him before it came to this, even if it meant taking full control.

Sakura felt her head lolling backwards, her neck protesting the abuse of every bounce as her captor jumped from branch to branch. She could hear the familiar creaking of bark below their weight as she moved, the breeze made by their motion tickling her face and making her hair sway. Slowly she felt herself coming back, even as she kept her body limp, hoping her conscious state wouldn't be noticed.

Finally she felt the connection snap into place, and sent an alarm home to Konoha that would wake all the Kōgō and Tennō from their slumber, indeed, she was sure that her panic probably would have woken them from the dead. The instant after she woke the arms holding her shifted, and as she sent the message she again felt a finger press against her forehead and found herself silenced yet again.

Indefinable words echoed in her head, giving her hope that her plea for help had gotten through; she allowed herself the relief of complete surrender. She drifted away, resting for when she needed her strength and complete awareness. Even amidst the chaos, fear and horror of these events, Sakura felt the pain. And it made her bitter, tasting the familiar pain of betrayal.

Back in Konoha seven people woke from deep sleep at a desperate cry for help, eyes blazed bright in the darkness as they sprang into action. A voice echoed in their minds warningly: _"Time waits for no one; your choices determine your fate. Choose your paths wisely."_

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Hope you liked it! Review? Anyways, see you next time to find out what's gonna happen on this new strange adventure!


	12. A Dreadful Dark Night

One: I'm SOOOO Very sorry this is late! It's not the last of the month, I know! I was out of town without my computer on the last of the month, the next day I was also gone, and until now it wouldn't let me upload this next chapter.

Two: So here it finally is! It's rather short, I'm sorry. I can't really make it longer, but I can't skip this part either. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Please forgive my late posting! And Enjoy!

Three: Happy 4th of July to all my fellow US citizens enjoying the celebration of our countries freedom. Don't forget the men and women who serve, and make it so we CAN enjoy our freedom. Because Freedom doesn't come free, it comes with a price for the service men and women who take the burden so we can enjoy it.

-Lady-of-Laughter

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He was used to dreams, they plagued him often, but even with the nightmares he had endured and the ones he had lived; not one of them terrified him as this one did. She had been standing in front of her door, looking at the sky, so close he could have touched her. And then she turned to go inside. Looking at the handle she had missed the hand reaching out of nothing to touch her forehead.

Panic filled his lungs. He couldn't feel her; he couldn't feel either of them! A person dressed entirely in black emerged from what looked like a spinning shimmery vortex. The person stepped out and lifted the slumping pink haired beauty before speeding away with her, and_ he of all people_ was helpless and very much powerless.

With a jolt he was awake, eyes blazing with the infinite blank of night. Sakura's short presence, her plea for help before she was silenced again rang in his ears as if she stood next to him and shouted it. Just as swiftly it was replaced with an ominous voice, "_Time waits for no one; your choices determine your fate. Choose your paths wisely_."

The others woke, and like him they were immediately moving. Having thrown on clothes, grabbed packs which always sat waiting, they all used their specific mode of transportation to be at the west gate. Each one of them stood silent, eyes searching the darkness, reaching out for Sakura but not finding her.

Shikamaru disappeared for two minutes before reappearing, and still without any spoken words they started off. For two days they traveled without rest, heedless of hunger or exhaustion. Shikamaru had left a message for the Hokage, explaining their disappearance and that Sasuke would be watched. He would have to post extra guards at the Uchiha Complex for the duration of their absence.

Their group flew through the forest, following no path or map. They followed a track no others could; a fading trace of power. With exchanged glances of concern and unsurpassed surprise, they tested the feel of power. They couldn't think who is was other than Sakura, but it didn't feel like her and her power. Their only consolation was that in times of panic, as her abduction had caused, she might have left a strange trace simply because she was disoriented.

All of them were silent, and warily watchful of Sasuke. He was more than silent, more than brooding. They could see that he and his Tennō were one in this moment, working together in perfect balance. That was a good sign; they had only seen him as one or the other in control. All of them had long since found the balance and now that he was balanced, he would be more powerful. But more powerful also meant more dangerous, especially if their desires were less than honorable toward the village.

"Did anyone else hear that voice when we woke? Or was that just my panicked imagination?" Hinata's voice reached them all, but as usual she spoke quietly, relying on their excellent hearing and the silence of their journey.

"Time waits for no one; the choices you make determine your fate. Choose your paths wisely." Sasuke spoke the words, his voice empty as always, taking on the tone of one reciting, his words echoed their thoughts.

"What do you think it means?" Ino asked this question, but the look she gave Sasuke was uneasy, as if she expected him to lash out at her for her worried query.

"It would seem that they're telling us we have to decide something, and quickly because time doesn't wait, and that whatever we choose to do will have consequences, hence the 'determine your fate' part. No matter really, we have to find her, and bring her back safely." TenTen hadn't hesitated to answer, but it was Shikamaru that spoke what was really bothering everyone.

"While that is going to be important to remember, we have something bigger to worry about. We need to find out, before anything else, how this happened." Everyone glanced at Shikamaru, knowing he was right. "Since this clearly wasn't any of us, who out there has the kind of power we do? To silence a Kōgō, without her even feeling the approach, and then stealing her away without any of us knowing. This isn't right, worrisome."

No one had anything to say in response to that disturbing statement so they remained silent. But they pushed on, resolving to get Sakura back as well as the answers they needed. It wasn't until the night closed in that they felt the power grow stronger, making it clear that they were approaching their target that they finally slowed to stop and rest.

The night passed quietly, with each member of the party taking a watch shift, they each rested and woke refreshed. As they readied in the morning they tossed glances towards the tree line hiding Sakura. The concentration of power had risen, but it was tainted. Something conveyed stress, anger, bitterness and anxiety.

For that reason they turned from their target and moved off. Their quarry seemed to have slowed from their initial speed to that of a caravan. Worried more that the pace had slowed and what that would mean if there were more people in attendance with Sakura, the party moved quickly ahead and chose a spot to occupy for an ambush.

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	13. Begins the End

Dear everyone,

I am SO incredibly sorry this is SOOO very late! I've missed 2 updates, I know! I do have an excuse, I've moved halfway across the country for College, and have spent the last few months working, preparing, driving for days, settling in, and starting school. Now that I'm in the groove of things, I'm able to write and update. So to make it up, this chapter is pretty long. As in 9 pages long. I'm also aware I missed updating on time. Not until this morning did I realize that it was the 1st. I'm messed up on my days, I thought it was the last of the month! My bad!

Anyways, I do hope you like this chapter. The next one WILL be on time! Promise! -Lady-of-Laughter

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As they waited the traveling group drew near, the signs of rising dust let them know someone approached at a quick pace. It was then that the voice of the morning spoke again. _"To free the Queen you must trust us. No matter what it seems, we aid you in recovering The Conqueror. The Season Singer approaches; The Foreign Mistress thinks I have become a Bane Singer, but she does not control us; we are not controllable."_ There was a pause, an awareness of another speaking, and then the voice was back, _"We act as she commands and she is easily fooled, allow us to do as we must and you will have the green eyed woman back."_

They knew the Queen being referred to was Sakura, and the rise in emotions flooded the area. Whoever could speak to them this way had some explaining to do, but first they had to discuss the instructions. Should they trust the mysterious speaker or should they go with the immediate plan of attack? In a few short minutes it was decided, find the source of the voice and then decide if trust was warranted.

At that particular moment of the speaker's pause in communication Sasuke's dark half billowed out a rage so intense it could almost be tasted. But that anger did not blind the power from the man's reactions. It was only moments later that a caravan came into view. The entire scene was so unfamiliar and alien that everyone crouched in frozen confusion.

No less than two dozen men walked around two wagons, but these men were dressed in a way none of them had ever seen. They walked in rows, two rows of four men at the front and back of the two wagons, and a set of two men on each side of the wagons. One wagon was open, with a bench built into the sides. On each bench sat a person, a woman on one side and a man on the other. The second was larger with a long silvery cloth covering boasting a strange design on its top that none of them recognized or even understood.

When the caravan passed beneath the silent party in the branches, they surveyed the enemy. The woman's dark red hair gleamed in the sunshine filtering through the trees as she glanced up, a significant look into the trees that went unnoticed by anyone but the man across from her who did not react. Her eyes, a stunning violet, seemed to stare at each of them for the second her eyes remained in the trees.

What could only be her voice echoed in their minds_, "I am Hisano, Kōgō no Jikan the Empress of Time and consequentially the Lady Destiny. I am with you; The Conqueror is my sister as are all of you Ladies of the Seasons. With me is my husband Shou, he is Tennō Ongaku, Emperor of Music, my Season Singer. Trust us; trust that we seek to free ourselves and Spring's Lady. You will not like what is to happen, but you must trust me that all will be well."_

They all kept silent, stunned at the news, and knowing it was all true. How else had Sakura been taken and disarmed but by another of their kind? The only answer was that they were indeed not the only ones possessing a power beyond the simple human capacity. And here was one of their kin, caught somehow, and taken advantage of. The creatures of power accepted their fellow sister and brother and resolved to free them from their bond to the foreign person.

Silently they moved through the trees, stunned that the guards did not once look into the trees or seem to use an chakra at all, the simply marched forward with eyes straight ahead in a noisy clanking pace. It was then that they saw her. Lying in the floor of the wagon, with her two kindred, was Sakura. Under a white blanket, with only her pale face and hair above the cover's hem, Sakura lay still and so white they wouldn't have noticed her there except for her bubblegum locks splayed around her head like a halo.

Rage built up in each one of them, both human and creature, but with Sasuke's Tennō it soared above the skyline. His only jolt of triumph came at the realization that Sasuke's heart stopped the minute he saw Sakura and then picked up to an unusually quick rhythm as they discerned her breathing. What the man hoped and feared had flashed across his mind for only a half second, but it was enough to be shared with the Night Lord. The briefest of smirks lifted Sasuke's lips as the Tennō took joy in the man's sudden enlightenment.

Each of them reached out, feeling the powers of the man and woman, and then moving beyond to Sakura where they found her and her power cut off from them, but her body in working order and her mind perfectly at rest. She was not in any bad condition other than the stressful isolation from the earth and reality. But she was alive, that was what counted the most to them, and with that revelation they set to planning.

Following the traveling party was confusing, not only did the strange foreign army not seem to hear them, but they also gave no indication that they were even aware of their presence in the trees above their heads. For an hour they simply traveled from tree to tree over Sakura's wagon, and not until the group below stopped for a rest did they receive a sign to enter the camp.

"_I'm going to allow her to wake up; The Foreign Lady wishes to speak to your woman. You must come down soon, and then things will be put into action that will look bad, but please, Trust us."_ It was the woman's voice that echoed in their minds, and it was then that they realized her power was not the one that had taken Sakura; it was the man's signature that they had followed.

The redheaded woman got out of the wagon, helped down by her man whose shaggy chestnut hair covered his face from view and with it any sign they might derive of his emotions. The strangely dressed military men made noisy work of getting the camp set up, something absolutely inconceivable to the Konoha ninja so used to silent set up.

Sakura was set on the ground, her pale face set towards the sky as she rested in a forced sleep. But she was well, from the care the two claiming to be of their caliber exercised, there could be no fault found in the way Sakura was gently moved about. Even the cushion and blankets carefully positioned for her comfort were specifically placed.

The bustle continued as the two set up a rather large brown tough fabric tent, without assistance from the clanging military unit. It was as plain as the tent for Sakura and her two attendants, the tent for the Lady was a blatant opposite. Her tent consisted of a bright blue flowing fabric with the same strange design on every panel, and small triangle silvery flags dancing in the breeze from several places; the top, the two sides of the entrance, and at other random areas that poked higher than the roofing material for what were assumed support poles.

Time passed as they sat in the tree, occasionally moving into better positions. After what seemed like a lifetime, but what could have been only an hour or two later, the woman exited her lavish tent where two burly guards joined her, never straying more than a pace from behind her. She wore an exquisite gown of shimmering burgundy gown with steel silver accents, trim and a filmy head covering that floated about her head.

Despite the head covering that fell past her shoulders, obscuring her face and hair, the figure moved with an oddly purposeful grace. She approached the simple brown tent and called out in a voice like a child's, as if her voice had never grown past that of her six year old self.

"Shou, bring the woman. Hisano, get out here and prepare!" Even though she spoke with a tone of authority, the quality of her voice made her demand that of a petulant child.

Shou came out, Sakura limp in his arms, with Hisano right behind him carrying the pad and blanket. Hisano arranged the pad and waited as Shou gently set Sakura down. Once Sakura was resting on the ground, Hisano tucked the blanket around the sleeping woman and stepped back. Both Shou and Hisano stood three feet back, heads lowered and eyes downcast.

The hidden lady stood only a foot from Sakura's feet, her head tilted to the side in apparent contemplations, yet her mantle stayed firmly in place. After a few moments Sakura's body shifted to a more comfortable position as her face crunched up in a half conscious show of confusion.

As Sakura's green eyes fluttered open and her lips turned down in a frown, the woman before her lifted her veil and let it fall back behind her like a cape from her high bun. It was then that the group got a good look at her, having moved much close to the little show, falling to positions behind large bushes. They held off on an attack or a quick grab, but all exchanged uneasy glances when their supposed allies moved away from Sakura's prone body, leaving her much closer to the lady and her guards.

The Contessa was pale as the moon, with a straight narrow nose above full lips pulled down in a scornful frown, soft cheeks eased the sharp lines of her cheek bones and a wide forehead offered plenty of space for her arched eyebrows. Her hair, even in a bun, shone dark brown with highlighted caramel browns in the light. But it was her dark brown eyes that drew attention, eyes that watched Sakura with a bitter smugness, as if she were nothing but a particularly pathetic but interesting exhibit animal at the zoo.

More surprising than the woman's unusual features was her voice as she spoke, "Hisano, introduce me to you friend."

From his vantage point, he could see that the woman's childish voice made Sakura wince, but even as her head stayed focused on the woman, everyone knew her training was kicking and making her absorb every perceivable detail surrounding her.

It took a moment for them to realize, with shared surprised thoughts, that the woman had not spoken their language. They did not, in fact, understand her language or where it was from. Her features did not belong to any of the nations, nor did her language. It was only their connection to Hisano and Shou, their open minds and their understanding of the language that allowed them to understand her speech.

Hisano took one step forward, keeping her submissive stance, and spoke with a calming voice. Within that voice was strength only audible to those of their rank that conveyed a plea of trust. Hisano's Kōgō was making herself known and asking Sakura and her Kōgō to trust her.

Sakura's eyebrows lowered in momentary confusion before her face went blank; she turned her bland mask to the well-dressed woman, ready to meet the one who had stolen her. Without being privy to the conversation, the restless Kōgō and Tennō knew that Sakura was having the entire story explained and the same plea for trust extended.

The low voice of Hisano introduced them, finally giving the rest of them the name of their enemy, "Yes my Lady. Contessa, this is Sakura, my sister who is the Kōgō no Haru: Empress of Spring."

When Sakura silently evaluated the woman standing over her, Hisano continued, this time in their native tongue, "Sakura, this is the Contessa Maria Elletra Addolorata Giulietta Paola."

After a moment of silence and Sakura only offering the woman a blink, she lifted a perfect brow and regarded Sakura with scorn, "Have you nothing to say?"

A flash of stubbornness, so subtle only those who knew her could identify it, crossed Sakura's face before it vanished again. Just because she understood the woman through Hisano didn't mean she would be at the mercy of this woman who thought herself so much better than anyone else. And Sakura, being her stubborn self, was keeping silent. The creature felt pride at his woman, and an even greater pride at the man's reaction. He was more proud of their girl than he would ever admit.

"You're- sister as you say, doesn't seem to have any manners." Such a childlike voice sounded absurd making that statement, "Should I expect such disrespect from your other sisters and brothers? This is unacceptable. Shou you must teach your brothers manners; you must teach them all manners when you help me acquire them. Be sure to teach them my language, I will not have my-" here she paused, as if unsure of her word choice, "helpers, be unable to communicate. That goes for you too Hisano with the sister-in-laws. I understand the men are more powerful, but the women will be of use, they must also be taught."

The power felt the man seethe with anger, as did all the others with him. They knew perfectly well the word she wanted to use was 'slaves' or a more generous term of 'servant.' Only the emotions of Hisano and Shou kept them quiet. For they stood silent, but their anger and hate for the woman was so palpable the creature of night almost felt as if he could taste it.

"Of course, My Lady." Both Shou and Hisano spoke gently, but it was their unprotected mental conversation that indicated their true desires.

Sakura lifted herself up on her elbows, but still said nothing. The Contessa tilted her head to the other side, and then began a slow walk around Sakura's pallet. She moved regally with gliding steps, short and quiet, pausing every few steps to tilt her head again. Silence reigned, but the Konoha group kept up a steady exchange of thoughts and strategies.

Just as they decided to wait it out, to see what would happen, something happened. Maria came to stand in her original place, once there Sakura stood and showed her true nature. Sakura looked at the woman, straight in the eye, and spoke.

"You cannot control me, I will never break." Sakura stood tall while Hisano translated, her face showing a slight smugness at the surprised face of the Contessa.

"You will break. All before you have broken, you will be no different. Just because your blood is that of the seasons, doesn't mean you're invincible. Your ancestors believed it so, but my ancestors proved them wrong." The creature cringed at the woman's snarled words, if he and the man had thought her voice irritating before, this went past all ranges of irritation.

"Your kind disappeared from existence for some time, but you are back; and in my time. I follow the footsteps of family tradition, and I will have you're powers under my control once again. The latest ancestors in power may have lost control of the last ones in our possession, but I am not them. I have already made a name for myself in my family while finding Shou, and now I will continue to make my name great by finding the rest of your kind. And that hunt begins with you." There might have been a childish voice speaking, but the face of the voice was the epitome of cruelty.

Hisano translated, but Shou looked away with a sneer, clearly this woman didn't know as much as she assumed she did, and they were allowing it. This time it was Sakura's turn to sneer as she gave her answer; from her expression he knew this was her final word on the matter. The man recognized the emotion from years past, a lifetime long gone.

"Just as you are not your ancestors, neither am I my ancestors. You will not break me." This Sakura said with calm dignity and strength, a thing Hisano used even in her translation.

The Contessa's eyes smoldered with fury and her lips thinned to a tight line, but she did nothing more than hold her head high and pull her veil down before turning and gliding to her tent. A sigh of relief left Hinata of to his right, but it was the suddenly rigid stance both Shou and Hisano adopted at the high pitched squeal of metal leaving its case.

The woman walked out, a short dagger in her hand. It was a pathetic thing, mostly for decoration by the design of it. Maria held it up slowly, rotating it so that Sakura could see it. Sakura of course gave no interest, convinced as all of them were of the useless nature of such a weapon. Not until it was used did the unmasked fear on Hisano and Shou's faces make sense.

"Breaking you isn't the key. This is." In one fluid motion Maria stabbed Sakura, thrusting the delicate dagger into the flesh of Sakura's stomach.

Sakura's body flinched, looking down her eyes widened. Blood flowed freely, but it did not soak her shirt as it should have, instead it flowed in a steady stream up a narrow hollow in the dagger until it reached Maria's hand. It trailed up her fingers, before criss-crossing over her wrist and disappearing into her skin.

Maria's skin glowed with a pearlescent gleam for a moment as she walked to a tree and touched it, leaving all to watch it wither under her touch. "So, you are the earth queen. While each of you are in control of your element, when I take your blood, I can destroy it with just a touch. If I need to bleed you dry I will. And look, my purpose has been fulfilled. Without having to break you."

Her head position indicated that she was looking to Sakura's side, and when she looked that way, the power and his man knew what she saw. Each of them had jumped out of the bushes to form a half circle at Sakura's back. They were there to protect her, but had ended up right where the Contessa wanted them. Only Neji and Shikamaru had stayed in hiding, and it was left to them to get them out of the situation they found themselves in. Outnumbered, and against a force that not only knew of them and their powers, but could harm them at the same time as stealing a warped version of their powers to use for destructive.

Holding her stomach Sakura fell to her knees, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Now blood stained her shirt, a dark blotch that slowly grew bigger by the second. They watched in horror as the blue healing glow of her Chakra glowed before spluttering out. She wasn't able to heal herself.

"_This wasn't part of the plan. I need to improvise to save your life. Everyone, you must trust me in what happens next. Please! Trust me; you must do exactly as we say!"_ Hisano sprang forward to Sakura's side as she spoke, supporting Sakura's upper body until it rested on the ground.

A whispered _"please don't die or go crazy on me"_ echoed in their heads, a slight panic to her voice as Hisano rested a hand on Sakura's forehead and pressed her ear to Sakura's chest.

After a moment Sakura went still, a glowing figure visible only to her kind floated above Sakura's pale body in a still sleeping form. With sorrow on her face Hisano lifted her eyes to Maria, who had returned from the dead tree with her guards close at hand.

"She is dead." Hisano's words translated to all, and as grief swept the group Maria screeched a wrathful cry.

"Weak little-" Her voice cut off as she turned away.

Pressing her hand firmly to the dead tree she pushed it over in a fit of fury. Addressing her guards and army to restrain the new arrivals she stalked to her tent. Disappearing within she ignored the clamor of her slowly materializing army and their attempts to subdue the new group of grieving friends who protected Sakura's body like their lives depended on it. As they fought, slowly diminishing the number against them, Sakura remained unmoving.

As they fought, the dying ember of hope sparked at Hisano's words, _"Keep Fighting, for just five minutes."_

* * *

Review? Tell me what you think, where you think it's gonna go?


	14. Unexpected Day or Simple Insanity?

YAY! Look, I'm updating ON TIME! Yaaayyy! And this is a good bit in length, it may not seem like it, but it's about 5 pages long. So I really hope you guys enjoy this one, and because this one really makes me smile and giggle, I really wanna know how you, the readers, react and what you think. So reviews would be nice.

Anyways, I guess I'll just wait to see if anyone reviews, but either way: ENJOY!

-Lady-of-Laughter

She ached; everything ached as distorted memories flashed through her mind. Was it possible to hurt after you died? She remembered the agony of the knife, the blood being pulled from her body, and with it a part of her Kōgō's strength and power.

She had been terrified under the pain, but her worry was for her Kōgō. Thankfully, even thru the shared torment, her Kōgō had revealed that the taken blood and power would be a short term addition to the Contessa. They would both be fine; she had lived through this torture many times before with Sakura's ancestors.

Sakura remembered falling to her knees as blood seeped from the hole in her body. Her Chakra didn't hold, sputtering out when she tried to heal herself. She hadn't used her Chakra in some time; she didn't understand how her reserves had failed. Even her Kōgō had been surprised; the knife had never affected Chakra before.

Then Hisano was there, helping her to lie down while her voice echoed as if from far away. _"This wasn't part of the plan. I need to improvise to save your life. Everyone, you must trust me in what happens next. Please! Trust me; you must do exactly as we say!"_

That confused her, she was hurt, but she wasn't dying. Stomach wounds were bad, but this was a shallow wound that hadn't hit any organs. She would be in pain, and without her healing Chakra, she would be longer in the recovery ward. But Dying? That seemed harsh to her, and she was a doctor, she knew these things!

Then she felt Hisano's hand on her forehead and felt the weight of a head on her aching chest, listening for the heartbeat she assumed. Since she was still thinking somewhat clearly, Sakura knew she would hear her heartbeat. It was slowing down though, and her limbs were going numb, everything hurt and she could feel the blood continue to ooze from her stomach.

She had heard Hisano's worried voice say _"please don't die or go crazy on me"_ as Hisano's head lifted. That plea worried her. First it was 'save your life' and now it was 'don't die or go crazy.' Why was she suddenly in danger of going crazy if she was dying? It didn't make sense, and more to the point, her awareness was fading.

She felt strange, as if she were being pulled apart, her Kōgō didn't answer her call either. She was oddly silent and everything and everyone seemed so far away and fuzzy. Closing her eyes to concentrate, Sakura let herself slip away thinking that she had been able to hug and kiss Taimu one more time before this happened.

But now here she was, taking stock and shifting under a soft blanket. Sakura let out a moan at the uncomfortable state she found herself in. She really did ache everywhere, and she felt sluggish. That tiny little ornamental knife packed a powerful punch. Taking a deep breath Sakura opened her eyes and made a few deductions.

She could breath, move around and feel her pain as well as the soft warmth of the blanket, so she couldn't be dead. There was a wall of dark wood paneling, and a window allowing the morning sunlight to steam in. Somehow she hadn't died, which meant she was being taken care of. She wasn't sure, but from the way her friends had been fighting, she was sure they must have won. If that were true, then she was home. If she was home, she should be able to see Taimu.

Joy seared her heart. Moving to sit up Sakura froze, looked down, and stared. There was a scar on her stomach, but not one she expected. It should have been new, this was old. And more eye catching than the scar stretching over a portion of her abdomen was the fact that her stomach was large. Not big as if she had let herself go without constant training as a recovering patient was prone to get, but _huge_.

Huge: as in**_ pregnant_** huge.

So pregnant she couldn't sit up. So pregnant her doctor's brain told her she must be very close to her due date, a fact her rational mind told her was impossible. She had been stabbed very recently, something that would kill a child. And stabbed recently while** not** pregnant in the slightest, how had she gotten no less than eight and a half months pregnant in the time she had been stabbed and taken to heal?

How long had she been out and what kind of twisted operations had happened to her in that time? Panic set in as she forced herself to find a way to sit up, but even her stubborn nature didn't help, she was just too big to get up. Lying in silent fear Sakura's eyes roamed the room, looking for anything to help her figure out where she was.

A closet door was open, showing her usual red clothing and other random garments. Some of which were hospital clothing, formal wear, workout cloths and ninja gear. Looking down at herself Sakura saw the t-shirt she wore; it was huge as well, considering the size of her belly it easily covered. Wrinkling her nose at the odd color she glanced at her bedside table which boasted her picture of team seven.

There was a similar picture on the other side of the bed, which made her eyes widen. There were only three other pictures with her team in it, and she knew who had them. Panic set in as her eyes again scanned the room, landing yet again on the closet. She already knew, from the color of her shirt she knew.

"You're up early. Need help up?" Sakura nearly cried as she shut her eyes against the sight of the man walking into the room and to the side of her bed.

Gentle hands moved her legs over the side of the bed and strong arms helped her sit up. Instead of helping her up all the way up, he sat beside her. Holding her left hand in his and reaching with his right arm around her back to clasp her right hand in his, he stood with her, allowing her to use his chest as a help when trying to leverage herself to her feet.

Moving behind her he wrapped his hands around her, resting his palms on her swollen stomach and kissed her neck, "Good morning wife."

Now hyperventilating Sakura moved away from him, eyes wide and mouth trembling as she spoke in a continually higher pitch and volume, "What's going on? This isn't possible. Am I dead? She was right, I did go crazy."

Pressing her back against the wall next to the closet, she glanced at the closest garment and noticed the familiar design, and cringed that she hadn't seen it before. Her eyes flew back to him, worried about what was happening; terrified he was going to think she was insane. Not that she was sure she could dispute that observation should he make it.

"It's today isn't it? You've warned me every day for the past week. I didn't remember. But please keep it down; you're going to wake Yuriko." He ran a hand through his hair before sitting down on the bed and looking at her with a tired expression.

That's when she froze and stopped thinking. "Yuriko?"

The moment she spoke the word a cry went up. It was the squall of a young child, an angry young child. A boy of about ten walked by the door, stopping to pop his head in, and Sakura stared at him as if he had six heads and spoke through interruptive dance.

"How are you today Sakura?" His young voice, speaking so well, nearly took out her knees.

"You're sister isn't feeling her best this morning, can you go get Yuriko for us, I'm going to get her back in bed to rest. Thanks buddy." As Taimu nodded and walked away after tossing her a worried glance, Sakura found her eyes back on the man in her room.

Or was it his room, or if they were married as he said, then it was their room? And then her mind caught up to the conversation. Had he just called Taimu _buddy_? Starting to shake Sakura pushed herself more firmly against the wall, terrified of what was happening. Even more terrified of what was going to happen, and how she was going to get back.

Suddenly her head hurt. Reaching for her Kōgō Sakura felt peace and contentment fill her as the familiar voice of her Kōgō giggled in her head. She knew she was at least safe, her power would not allow her to come to harm. She was going to be ok, she just needed to rest and wait to go back to her own home instead of this strange alternate reality.

Maybe is she went back to sleep she would wake up back safe and sound at home? Yes, that was it. She was going to sleep! With waddled steps Sakura moved toward the bed, stopping short she stared down at her belly out in front of her.

While she contemplated the way it felt to be pregnant she also realized another need that pregnancy seemed to make more urgent. As fast as her legs could take her she made it to the bathroom. Without a word she raged in her head against the ridiculous movement's her body had to adopt in order for her to walk. She had always though the pregnant women at the hospital for checkups were adorable. Now she just wanted to punch someone in the face for the lack of free movement she was used to.

After attending to her needs Sakura walked out, and ignoring the man waiting on the bed, she moved to the best of her ability with a purposeful stride. The problem came when she was deciding how to actually get down on the bed. Sitting wasn't as easy as she had hoped it would be, even in the bathroom she had had to hold on to things to pull herself up. She didn't remember how she had sat down; she was too worried about getting there in time.

A hand materialized by her side, one she took with an uneasy feeling, but was soon grateful as those strong hands helped her to a comfortable position. Laying there she tried to relax, but with him standing over her, how was she to relax? Shutting her eyes she counted to ten, and then opened them again. It was no good, he wasn't there, but she was still in the room. A second later a weight shifted on the opposite side of the bed and arms settled around her.

Not being able to move, all Sakura could do was push at him with her hands and scream like a banshee. Another cry lifted, brought on by her yell, but was quickly quieted. The hands holding her held firm, and a soothing voice spoke in her ear. Before she knew it she had relaxed against her will, her body seeming to decide of its own accord that it was comfortable with this man.

A hand held her head to his chest where she picked up his heartbeat. Slowly she allowed her mind to relax. With the help of his steadily beating heart; Sakura found herself drifting off to sleep. In his arms, listening to his heart, and gently holding her large round stomach. Just before falling into sleep, his voice in her ear whispered instructions about warning him of this day, his chest rumbled against her shoulder as she felt a sharp jab against her insides and on one of her hands.

A jolt of joy hit her, so strong he hadn't known such things existed. And she knew why women had children, through the awkwardness and pain. She knew it the moment she felt the jab. She'd felt her baby kick. She carried a new little life, her flesh and blood.

Her child.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm excited for the next one, and honestly, I REALLY want to know what you thought of this chapter and how you reacted. So review please? Anyways, until next month! Farewell!


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